World BankInternational Finance Corporation2017-06-282017-06-282011https://hdl.handle.net/10986/27441This global report examines the opportunity for special economic zones to promote women's economic empowerment and boost zone and enterprise competitiveness in developing countries. The research covers Bangladesh, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, El Salvador, Jordan, Kenya, and the Philippines. The study focuses on women's economic empowerment in the context of zones at three levels: (i) fair employment and working conditions for female employees; (ii) equal access to opportunities for professional advancement; and (iii) investment opportunities for female entrepreneurs. The study also examines gender-friendly policies and practices that support these three main goals, which include a wide range of options around laws, regulations, labor policies, gender-sensitive professional development programs, family support mechanisms, women's health programs, and supplier diversity and capacity-building initiatives. This study establishes the business case for investments in women's economic empowerment in SEZs, and identifies good-practice examples of recommended enablers to address this investment opportunity. Enablers are defined as efforts to counteract the negative impact of the obstacles women face in economic participation, and can include policies and programs at the government, zone, and enterprise level. The study provides background, evidence of challenges and success stories, comprehensive recommendations, and a suite of tools and tips to implement the recommendations successfully.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOACCESS TO EDUCATIONACCESS TO FINANCEACCESS TO HEALTHACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICESADMINISTRATIVE BARRIERSADVISORY SERVICESAWARENESS RAISINGBANKSBARRIERS TO WOMENBASIC HUMAN RIGHTSBASIC LIFE SKILLSBENEFITS FOR WOMENBUSINESS ADVISORYBUSINESS ENABLINGBUSINESS ENABLING ENVIRONMENTBUSINESS OWNERSBUSINESS SUPPORTCAPACITY BUILDINGCAPITAL INVESTMENTSCATALYSTSCERTIFICATION SYSTEMCHILD CARECHILD HEALTHCHILD LABORCHILD-CARECODES OF CONDUCTCOMMUNICATION GAPSCOST EFFECTIVENESSCOUNSELORSCULTURAL NORMSDEPOSITDEVELOPING COUNTRIESDISCRIMINATIONDISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMENDISSEMINATIONECONOMIC CRISISECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTECONOMIC EMPOWERMENTECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF WOMENECONOMIC GROWTHECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMENECONOMIC OPPORTUNITYECONOMIC POLICYECONOMIC SITUATIONECONOMICS OF GENDEREDUCATIONAL GENDER GAPSEMPLOYEEEMPLOYERSEMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIESEMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMENEMPOWERING WOMENEMPOWERMENT OF WOMENENFORCEMENT AGENCYENFORCEMENT OF LAWSENTREPRENEUREQUAL ACCESSEQUAL PARTICIPATIONEQUAL REMUNERATIONEQUALITY IN EDUCATIONEQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITYFAMILIESFAMILY HEALTHFAMILY PLANNINGFAMILY SUPPORTFAMILY WORKFEMALE EMPLOYEESFEMALE ENTREPRENEURSFEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIPFEMALE LABORFEMALE LABOR FORCEFEMALE LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATIONFEMALE WORKERSFEMINIST ECONOMICSFINANCIAL ASSETSFINANCIAL INSTITUTIONSFINANCIAL LITERACYFOOD PROCESSINGFOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTFOREIGN INVESTMENTFORMAL ECONOMYFORMS OF DISCRIMINATIONGENDERGENDER ACTIONGENDER DIMENSIONSGENDER DISCRIMINATIONGENDER DISPARITYGENDER EQUALITYGENDER EQUITYGENDER GAPSGENDER INEQUALITYGENDER ISSUESGENDER NORMSGENDER PERSPECTIVEGENDER POLICIESGENDER RELATIONSGENDER STEREOTYPESGENDER STEREOTYPINGGIRLSHEALTH CAREHEALTH CARE COSTSHEALTH EDUCATIONHEALTH PROMOTIONHEALTH SERVICESHOSPITALSHOST COUNTRYHOUSEHOLD INCOMEHOUSEHOLDSHUMAN CAPITALHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENTHUMAN RIGHTSHUMAN RIGHTS CONVENTIONSHUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDSINFORMAL SECTORINHERITANCEINTENSIVE INDUSTRIESINTERNATIONAL BANKINTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONSINTERNATIONAL FINANCEINTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONSINVESTMENT IN EDUCATIONINVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIESINVESTMENT OPPORTUNITYLABOR FORCELABOR FORCE PARTICIPATIONLABOR MARKETLABORERSLABOUR ORGANIZATIONLABOUR RIGHTSLACK OF ACCESSLAND OWNERSHIPLAWSLAWS ON WOMENLEGAL PROTECTIONLEGAL REQUIREMENTSLEGAL RIGHTSLEGISLATION ON GENDER EQUALITYLIMITED ACCESSLIVING CONDITIONSMATERNITY LEAVEMATERNITY PROTECTIONMEDICAL COLLEGEMICROFINANCEMICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONSMIGRANTMINIMUM WAGEMINISTRY OF GENDERMORTALITYMORTGAGEMULTILATERAL ORGANIZATIONSMULTINATIONALNATIONAL LEVELNURSINGNUTRITIONOPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMENOUTREACHPARTICIPATION BY WOMENPAYMENT OF WAGESPERSONAL DEVELOPMENTPOLICY DEVELOPMENTSPOLICY FRAMEWORKPOLICY-MAKING BODIESPREGNANCYPRIVATE ENTERPRISEPRODUCTIVITYPROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTPROFITABILITYPUBLIC POLICYPUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPSREPRODUCTIVE HEALTHRETURN ON INVESTMENTRISK MANAGEMENTRISK MITIGATIONRURAL AREASSAVINGSSERVICE OFFERINGSSEXUAL HARASSMENTSKILLS DEVELOPMENTSMALL-BUSINESSSOCIAL DEVELOPMENTSOCIAL RESPONSIBILITYSOCIAL SERVICESSTART-UPSUBSISTENCE FARMINGSUPPLY CHAINSUPPLY CHAINSSUPPORT SERVICESTRANSPORTATIONUNEMPLOYMENTUNICEFUNIONUNWANTED PREGNANCYUSAIDWAGE DISCRIMINATIONWAGE GAPWELLNESSWOMANWOMEN EMPLOYEESWOMEN ENTREPRENEURSWOMEN IN BUSINESSWOMEN WORKERSWORK ENVIRONMENTWORKERSWORKFORCEWORKING CONDITIONSWORKING WOMENWORKPLACEWorking PaperWorld Bank10.1596/27441