Women in developing countries are disempowered: high youth unemployment, early marriage and childbearing interact to limit their investments into human capital and enforce dependence on men.
... See More + The authors evaluate a multi-faceted policy intervention attempting to jumpstart adolescent women’s empowerment in Uganda, a context in which 60 percent of the population are aged below twenty. The intervention aims to relax human capital constraints that adolescent girls face by simultaneously providing them vocational training and information on sex, reproduction and marriage. The authors find that four years post-intervention, adolescent girls in treated communities are 48 percent more likely to engage in income generating activities, an impact almost entirely driven by their greater engagement in self-employment. Teen pregnancy falls by 34 percent, and early entry into marriage/cohabitation falls by 62 percent. Strikingly, the share of girls reporting sex against their will drops by close to a third and aspired ages at which to marry and start childbearing move forward. The results highlight the potential of a multi-faceted program that provides skills transfers as a viable and cost-e¤ective policy intervention to improve the economic and social empowerment of adolescent girls over a four year horizon.
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Working Paper 118203 JUL 01, 2017
Bandiera,Oriana; Buehren,Niklas; Burgess,Robin Stuart L.; Goldstein,Markus P.; Gulesci,Selim; Rasul,Imran; Sulaimany,MunshiDisclosed
Rule of Law is a theoretical concept social scientists use to describe a political order where laws are predictable and applied equally to all citizens, regardless of their political or economic influence.
... See More + However, the drafting and implementation of laws and regulations compatible with principles of the Rule of Law depend on the incentives that lawmakers, implementing agencies, and ruling elites have. Realigning the incentive structures among key actors and organizations is therefore necessary to improve the chances for Rule-of-Law institutions to take root. Building the capacity of organizations without first changing institutional incentives is likely to lead to perverse outcomes, with the capacity ultimately channeled toward goals the reformers never envisioned. This book tells the story of how Rule of Law is applied in some countries in the Middle East and North Africa region.
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This study looks at how a community event—adolescent women's economic and social empowerment -- and a family factor -- sibling sex composition—interact in shaping gender differences in preferences for competition.
... See More + To do so, a lab-in-the-field experiment is conducted using competitive games layered over the randomized rollout of a community program that empowered adolescent girls in Uganda. In contrast with the literature, the study finds no gender differences in competitiveness among adolescents, on average. It also finds no evidence of differences in competitiveness between girls in treatment and control communities, on average. However, in line with the literature, in control communities the study finds that boys surrounded by sisters are less competitive. Strikingly, this pattern is reversed in treatment communities, where boys surrounded by (empowered) sisters are more competitive.
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Policy Research Working Paper WPS7699 JUN 07, 2016
As the World’s Premier Fund for the poorest and ‘an absolutely critical element inDevelopment’ IDA is uniquely positioned to help realize the ambition of eradicating poverty by 2030.
... See More + The ambitious development agenda set in 2015 signifies the desire of the global community to usher in a world free of poverty and hunger; a world that is peaceful and equitable; a world that is free of gender inequality; and a world that cares for its natural resources and environment. In the context of World Bank Group’s Forward Look, a results-focused IDA has the capacity, experience, and the instruments to be the platform for transformational changes that ensure that no one is left behind. With just 15 years to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), every year counts. The ambitious 2030 development agenda calls for a paradigm shift. A beginning was made at the first IDA18 Replenishment meeting when Participants selected ‘toward 2030: investing in growth, resilience and opportunity’ as the overarching theme. This theme underscores both the urgency and the need for a comprehensive approach to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change and fragility on development and encourages actions to foster growth, equality and better governance so that poverty can be reduced and prosperity shared by all. A credible implementation plan must, therefore, include a strong policy and financial package to undertake large investments that can shift the development trajectory to deliver results by 2030. Spearheading the multilateral efforts, IDA18 presents a set of policy and financing commitments to match the global ambition.
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To explain persistent gender gaps in market outcomes, a lab experimental literature explores whether women and men have innate differences in ability (or attitudes or preferences), and a separate field-based literature studies discrimination against women in market settings.
... See More + This paper posits that even if women have comparable innate ability, their relative performance may suffer in the market if the task requires them to interact with others in society, and they are subject to discrimination in those interactions. The paper tests these ideas using a large-scale field experiment in 142 Malawian villages where men or women were randomly assigned the task of learning about a new agricultural technology, and then communicating it to others to convince them to adopt it. Although female communicators learn and retain the new information just as well, and those taught by women experience higher farm yields, the women are not as successful at teaching or convincing others to adopt the new technology. Micro-data on individual interactions from 4,000 farmers in these villages suggest that other farmers perceive female communicators to be less able, and are less receptive to the women's messages. Relatively small incentives for rewards undo the disparity in performance by encouraging added interactions, improving farmers' accuracy about female communicators' relative skill.
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Policy Research Working Paper WPS7689 MAY 31, 2016
A new World Bank Group (WBG) gender strategy (December 2015) reflects changes in the global landscape and in the accumulation of evidence of what works to close gender gaps.
... See More + The 2015 WBG gender strategy recognizes that stronger and better-resourced efforts are needed to address key gaps between females and males, in IDA countries and beyond. The WBG, through IDA, is uniquely suited to provide strategic support for work to close gaps between men and women, which is a complex task linked across sectors, requiring sustained long-term effort. By its nature, closing opportunity and outcome gaps between men and women requires working across many sectors, highlighting the inter-linkages across the IDA special themes. Under IDA18, IDA presents policy actions in five areas: target remaining gender gaps in human endowments; remove constraints for more and better jobs; increase financial inclusion; build the evidence base and address issues of voice and agency; and build the evidence base and address issues of voice and agency.
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Chhattisgarh has made mixed progress on gender. While the child sex ratio in the state is higher than in most other states, it is declining. Maternal health is poor, but has seen improvement.
... See More + Adult women have fewer years of schooling than adult men. Although the state’s female labor force participation rate is among the highest in the country, there has been a sharp decline in rural areas after 2005. On a positive note, gender gaps in elementary schools are closing and female labor force participation is increasing in urban areas.
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Women face multiple barriers to progress in Jharkhand. The child sex ratio is higher than in mostLow Income States, but is declining. Maternal mortality is poor.
... See More + There are few non-farm jobs forrural women. Very few urban women work, but they have more salaried jobs than urban men.There has been a sharp decline in female labor force participation in the state after 2005. As aresult, there are fewer women in the Jharkhand’s workforce compared to most other states. On apositive note, gender gaps in schooling have narrowed.
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This brief has the analysis of gender gaps in Uttar Pradesh, India. Gender gaps in Uttar Pradesh are high and persistent. The state has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality.
... See More + The child sex ratio is low and declining. The share of women participating in the labor force is among the lowest in the country. Rural women have limited access to non-farm jobs and very few urban women work. And although more women complete secondary education in Uttar Pradesh as compared to other low income states, a little over half are illiterate. The closing of gender gaps in schooling and improvement in maternal mortality are gains toward gender equity.
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Madhya Pradesh has made mixed progress on gender. Child sex ratio is deteriorating. Maternal mortality is high, but has seen improvement. Nearly one in every two adult females is illiterate.
... See More + There has been a sharp decline in female labor force participation after 2005 and only one-third of the adult women are in the labor force today. On a positive note, gender gaps in elementary schools have been eliminated and, although fewer women work they have the same types of jobs as men.
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Gender disparities are high in Odisha. The child sex ratio is higher than in most states, but is declining. Maternal mortality is poor. And although more women work in Odisha compared to some low-income states, there has been a sharp decline in female labor force participation after 2005.
... See More + There are fewer non-farm job opportunities for women in rural Odisha, and fewer salaried jobs for urban women. On a positive note, gender gaps in schooling are starting to close for younger girls.
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Women and girls in Rajasthan face persistent barriers to progress. The child sex ratio is amongthe lowest in India, and is declining. Maternal mortality is high, but has seen improvement.
... See More + Andalthough more women work in Rajasthan compared to other states, there has been a sharpdecline in female labor force participation since 2005. There are fewer non-farm job opportunitiesfor women in rural Rajasthan, and very few urban women work. On a positive note, gender gapsin schooling are starting to close for younger girls.
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Bihar’s performance in closing gender gaps is mixed. Adult women are twice as likely to be illiterate than adult men. The state has the lowest rate of female labor force participation in the country.
... See More + Though Bihar’s child sex ratio is more favorable than the national average, it is declining. On a positive note, gender gaps in elementary schooling have narrowed, and maternal mortality is declining. And although few women work, women workers have the same types of jobs as their male counterparts.
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At the beginning of the twenty-first century, intergenerational relations remain a key aspect of the future development and sustainability of the European social model.
... See More + In the present paper, patterns of intergenerational support and the main driving factors behind individuals' transfer behavior are explored. In particular, the data form the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe are utilized to shed light on the main factors behind the likelihood and intensity of social support, and financial help provided to and received from other family members by ageing and elderly Europeans. The analysis also takes into consideration patterns and factors correlated with grandparenting activities. Finally, special attention is devoted to the condition of those individuals who are sandwiched between care obligations toward their elderly parents and young adult children. It is shown that the likelihood of the exchange of support between family generations is highest in Scandinavian countries and lowest in Southern Europe. The intensity of support follows an opposite North-South gradient. In addition, relevant gender-related inequalities are documented. In general, time-demanding support obligations are more likely to fall on the shoulders of women in the early stage of their later life, while mainly benefitting elderly men.
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Policy Research Working Paper WPS7678 MAY 17, 2016
The objectives of the Three Gorges Modern Logistics Center Infrastructure Project for China are: 1) to enhance the efficiency of freight logistics along the Yangtze River within the urban area of Yichang; 2) to promote multimodal transportation of ports of the Yangtze River; and 3) to reduce carbon emission of logistic transportation.
... See More + Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures include: offered support after displacement, for a transition period, based on a reasonable estimate of the time likely to be needed to restore their livelihood and standards of living; provided with development assistance such as land preparation, credit facilities, training, or job opportunities; particular attention shall be paid to the needs of vulnerable groups among those displaced, especially those below the poverty line, the landless, the elderly, women and children, indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities, or other displaced persons who may not be protected through national land compensation legislation; and in new resettlement sites or host communities, infrastructure and public services are provided as necessary to improve, restore, or maintain accessibility and levels of service for the displaced persons and host communities. Alternative or similar resources are provided to compensate for the loss of access to community resources (such as fishing areas, grazing areas, fuel, or fodder).
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Over recent decades, women in Latin America and the Caribbean have increased their labor force participation faster than in any other region of the world.
... See More + This evolution occurred in the context of more general progress in women’s status. Female enrollment rates have increased at all levels of education, fertility rates have declined, and social norms have shifted toward gender equality. This report sheds light on the complex relationship between stages of economic development and female economic participation. It documents a shift in women’s perceptions whereby work has become a fundamental part of their identity, highlighting the distinction between jobs and careers. These dynamics are made more complex by the acknowledgment that individuals are part of larger economic units—families. As development progresses and the options available to women expand, the need to balance career and family takes greater importance. New tensions emerge, paradoxically made possible by decades of steady gains. Understanding the new challenges women face as they balance work and family is thus crucial for policy.
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Within the past decade Maldives moved from low- to middle-income status, introduced democracy, and was hailed as a Millennium Development Goal Plus country.
... See More + Women face little discrimination in basic aspects of life such as primary education, health, and survival—unlike in much of South Asia. This economic and social progress has yet to be fully inclusive, however, and gender inequality endures, despite constitutional guarantees to the contrary. This is at least partly owing to a shift in the nature of Maldivian family and society toward more rigidly patriarchal norms. Women’s labor force participation is high, but limited to lower echelons of the economy. Women are slightly more likely than men to be unemployed. Despite gender-equal primary schooling, girls’ access to tertiary and professional education is hampered by beliefs about girls’ and women’s mobility, and primacy of household roles over others. Within the home, women face challenges that men do not, such as high risks of domestic violence and little control over household assets. Finally, women have limited presence in politics and governance. Men stuggle with different gendered situations. Unemployment is high among young men, who also increasingly are alienated from society and family. This alienation, combined with a lack of strong alternative social structures to replace the traditional family structures whose breakdown has accompanied Maldives’ development trajectory, appear to be propelling young men towards greater social conservatism, participation in gangs, drug use, and violence. Nonetheless, women are more disadvantaged in more realms of life than are men. Moreover, public support for gender equality and women’s rights appears to be declining. These developments are worrying for the future of gender equality in Maldives, as well as for a more inclusive development model that would offer opportunities to both men and women.
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The development objective of the Guangxi Rural Poverty Alleviation Pilot Project for China is to increase income generation opportunities through demonstration of value chain development models in selected poverty counties of Guangxi.
... See More + Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures include: (1) receiving in-kind resettlement upon the completion of the project; (2) receiving monetary compensation according to replacement price; (3) receiving transitional subsidies according to the actual transitional period; (4) providing other places available for the affected people to conduct production and business activities; (5) giving reasonable compensation for relocation of equipment and relevant loss; and (6) giving compensation for fixed assets such as houses that are partially or totally affected by the project according to the replacement price.
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The portability of social benefits is gaining importance given the increasing share of individuals working at least a part of their life outside their home country.
... See More + Bilateral social security agreements (BSSAs) are considered a crucial approach to establishing portability, but the functionality and effectiveness of these agreements have not yet been investigated; thus important guidance for policymakers in migrant-sending and migrant-receiving countries is missing. To shed light on how BSSAs work in practice, this document is part of a series providing information and lessons from studies of portability in four diverse but comparable migration corridors: Austria-Turkey, Germany-Turkey, Belgium-Morocco, and France-Morocco. A summary policy paper draws broader conclusions and offers overarching policy recommendations. This report looks specifically into the working of the Austria-Turkey corridor. Findings suggest that the BSSA between Austria and Turkey is broadly working well, with no main substantive issues in the area of pension portability and few minor substantive issues concerning health care portability and financing. Process issues around information and automation of information exchange are recognized and are beginning to be addressed.
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The reform of China's collectively owned forest land, began in 2008, is arguably the largest land-reform undertaking in modern times in terms of area and people affected.
... See More + Under the reform, forest lands have been contracted to rural households, allowing them more independence in exercising their rights and interests in the forest lands, giving them more opportunities to improve family incomes, and creating incentives for them to cultivate, conserve, and manage forests. These lands are home to some 610 million people, many of them poor. With urbanization, vast numbers of Chinese men have migrated to cities to work, leaving women as the predominant labor force in rural areas. Indeed, some 70 percent of China’s agriculture labor force is now female. The immense scope of this change calls for a systematic examination of how China's rural women gain access to and exploit forest land and associated resources and services. The reform was designed to unfold in two broad stages. In the first, collectively owned forest lands suitable for contracting were allocated on equal terms to each household in affected villages. The ongoing second stage represents a deepening of the reform. It deals with subsidies and ecological compensation, financial services (including use of forest tenure as collateral and transfers of forest land), forest insurance, technical services and training, farmers’ associations and cooperatives, and market services. However, the monitoring had not covered the gender dimension of the reform, meaning that the gender data required to accurately reflect the full effects of the reform have been lacking. Building on the annual monitoring conducted by the FEDRC, the study reported here added gender-related investigation and analysis to obtain gender data about the current reform situation, its problems, and their causes. It also included structured interviews with rural women and group meetings with local government agencies, women’s federations, and village committees.The ultimate objective of the study is to achieve better gender-responsiveness in China’s collective forest tenure reform. Specifically, this includes: (i) equality in access to and control of forest lands, as well as access to associated resources and services; (ii) women’s participation and equality in decision-making concerning the conservation and utilization of forest resources; and (iii) impacts of the first two aspects on the status and well-being of women. The World Bank has had over 30 years of successful cooperation with China in the forestry sector. Women’s access to the services and resources that are the focus of the second stage of the reform will be a critical element of the World Bank’s continuing reform dialogue with its Chinese partners.
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