Gender equality and economic growth have historically tended to move together yet identifying causal effects has been difficult. This paper uses data on the support for female suffrage in Switzerland in order to explore the impact of technology adoption on gender norms. We argue that the early...

Gender quotas remain controversial despite evidence of their effectiveness in reducing labor-market gender inequality. We study how informational narratives about quotas affect support, and how effects depend on pre-existing causal beliefs about inequality. In a pre-registered survey experiment...

This paper examines the effect of women’s political empowerment on public spending efficiency in developing countries. Using a large panel of 126 developing countries over 1995–2021, the paper constructs public spending efficiency scores based on Stochastic Frontier Analysis, capturing...

Women are essential to the growth of any progressive society. Equal access to employment is necessary for both women's empowerment and global economic growth. However, discrimination against women persists at all career levels, making it challenging for them to overcome barriers to leadership...

Despite several policies and legislation enactments to address gender inequality in the post-apartheid South African employment landscape, a significant proportion of female academics still face marginalization and underrepresentation in senior executive positions. This paper aims to investigate...

Aus dem einleitenden Teil: Das Arbeitsmarktservice (AMS) ist gesetzlich dazu verpflichtet, einen Beitrag zur Gleichstellung von Frauen und Männern am Arbeitsmarkt zu leisten. Diese Verpflichtung begründet sich durch die nach wie vor bestehenden Schieflagen zwischen Frauen und Männern am...

Gender equality is associated with economic growth and resilience, yet various factors, including climate change, may stall progress toward equal rights for men and women. This paper analyzes historical temperature and precipitation fluctuations within countries to assess their effect on legal...

This empirical qualitative research explores the texts of 14 free trade agreements (FTAs) concluded by Arab Gulf countries individually or as block. The objective is to evaluate if these documents are gender-responsive using an internationally recognised framework that qualitatively measures if...

Bank accounts are an essential first step towards formal savings and credit in most countries, yet their impact on women's control over resources remains underexplored. I investigate the effects of 2014 policy in India that provided free bank accounts and led to an unprecedented increase in...

The Women's Economic Empowerment in Bangladesh: An Evidence-Guided Toolkit for More Inclusive Policies report provides an examination of gender disparities in economic empowerment in Bangladesh. It aims to shed light on the current state of gender inequality by analyzing rich microdata from...

Ninety percent of economic inclusion programs target women, yet only a third prioritize women's economic empowerment (WEE) as a core objective. Unless programs are designed to address gender-specific barriers, they risk reinforcing rather than reducing gender inequalities. Economic inclusion...

This PFR Guidance Note on Fiscal Policy and Women's Economic Empowerment supports World Bank country teams in integrating a gender lens into the macro fiscal, revenue, and expenditure chapters of PFRs. Fiscal policy can play an important role in reducing gender gaps, enhancing women's economic...

This paper examines how Feminist Foreign and Development Policies (FFDPs) have emerged as both a site of transformation and contention within global governance. It traces the articulation of feminist principles that emphasize equality, inclusion and the redistribution of power within foreign...

In the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, rural women agripreneurs encounter ongoing structural challenges in accessing formal finance, securing land rights, and gaining leadership roles, despite their vital contribution to agriculture and food security. This research combines a thematic...

Aus dem einleitenden Teil: Das Arbeitsmarktservice (AMS) ist gesetzlich dazu verpflichtet, einen Beitrag zur Gleichstellung von Frauen und Männern am Arbeitsmarkt zu leisten. Diese Verpflichtung begründet sich durch die nach wie vor bestehenden Schieflagen zwischen Frauen und Männern am...

Pakistan faces significant gender gaps in wage employment, entrepreneurship, and access to productive assets. Women in Pakistan also contend with critical issues related to safety, mobility, agency, and restrictive social norms. This report provides an in-depth analysis of these disparities and...

Women entrepreneurs in small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in emerging countries play an essential role in the economy of developing countries such as Indonesia. Drawing on the resource-based view and entrepreneurship effectuation theory, this study examines how women's entrepreneurial...

Skills gaps, a lack of funding, and social norms continue to keep women and youth in North Africa from engaging in productive entrepreneurship. Using cross-national data and regional indicators from the World Bank and the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, this analysis shows how such barriers...

This paper studies the impact of access to state-run religious schools on girls' outcomes in Türkiye. These schools, offering religious instruction and a conservative school environment, became accessible to girls following a 1976 court ruling. Exploiting variation in exposure to religious...

Achieving gender equality is an important EU objective. It is not just a matter of fundamental human rights, but also smart economics. As the European Union's investment arm, the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group aims to contribute to this goal. Its strategy, grounded in the EU policy...

This study examines the determinant factors of women's empowerment in Chepén, Peru, during 2024, analyzing how socioeconomic status potentially moderates this relationship. Using a quantitative approach with a non-experimental, cross-sectional design, the research surveyed 367 women aged 22-52...

This study examines the five-year impacts of a bicycle distribution program for adolescent girls in rural Zambia, implemented across 91 schools as part of a randomized controlled trial. While the program increased girls’ self-reported empowerment and reduced experiences of domestic and...