Nearly 65% of adults in the Arab region remain excluded from formal financial systems, according to a new report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). The Annual SDG Review 2025 paints a sobering picture of persistent financial exclusion that is undermining the region’s ability …
The 2022 Gender Report presents fresh insights on progress towards gender parity in education with respect to access, attainment and learning. It showcases the results of a new model that provides coherent estimates, combining multiple sources of information, on completion rates. It also reviews the results of learning assessments released …
Africa is facing a crisis of extreme inequality which is undermining growth, preventing poverty eradication and contributing to insecurity. The six richest African billionaires are now wealthier than the poorest 50% of Africans combined. This briefing paper shows that COVID-19 has deepened this crisis, and that the responses of African …
One of the key questions posed in the research within the Rebuild project is to understand how COVID-19 exacerbated pre-existing vulnerabilities for women in the urban informal economy. The backdrop of the pandemic has exposed many layers of social disenfranchisement and vulnerabilities. Situate vulnerabilities fundamentally within the context of historical …
Around 2.4 billion women of working age are not afforded equal economic opportunity and 178 countries maintain legal barriers that prevent their full economic participation, according to this new report by the World Bank. In 86 countries, women face some form of job restriction and 95 countries do not guarantee …
Tanzania has made important achievements in expanding women’s economic opportunities over the past 20 years. The female labor-force participation rate rose from 67% in 2000 to 80% in 2019, well above the average of 63% for Sub-Saharan Africa and among the highest rates on the continent. In addition, more Tanzanian …
The report aims to fill a knowledge gap by examining the points of interaction between climate change impacts and the amount, distribution, and conditions of unpaid care work. The global care crisis is being exacerbated by the global climate emergency, with interlocking impacts that threaten lives and livelihoods in all …
As Uganda builds back from the COVID-19 shock, the Ugandan government is strengthening its commitment to a more gender-inclusive and sustainable economy. This report supports these efforts by describing the gendered impacts of COVID-19 and provides recommendations for Ugandan policy makers and World Bank Group operations to ensure women’s participation …
The Constitution of Nepal 2015 enshrines everyone’s right of access to clean water for drinking and the right to food. The common operationalization of the right to water for drinking is providing access to infrastructure that brings water for drinking and other basic domestic uses near and at homesteads. Challenges …
It is widely recognized that periods of crisis affect men and women differently, mediated by their access to resources and information, as well as social and institutional structures that may systematically disadvantage women from being able to access relief, institutional support, and rehabilitation. To capture the gendered impacts of the …
A new food security assessment, released by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), shows that almost 40 percent of Tigrayans are suffering an extreme lack of food, after 15 months of conflict. Meanwhile, across all three conflict-affected regions of the north more than 9 million people are in need …
With the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, the world is eager to return to normal. However, the complexity of the challenges Africa was already facing—including poor infrastructure, high youth unemployment, rapidly increasing debt, and climate change—means that the region’s recovery is likely to be uneven and far behind much of the …
This study assesses the impact of climate change on urban home-based workers in South Asia focussing on women home-based workers living in slums and informal settlements in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. Home-based workers (HBWs), mostly women, although a critical part of global supply chains, are often invisible in economic statistics …
This study investigates a community-owned and managed model of solar irrigation (led by women self-help groups) implemented by Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN) in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh. It aims to assess the impact of irrigation access on agricultural incomes. The study also highlights the challenges and roadblocks …
The framework responds to a central topic for the green economic recovery agenda regarding the mobilization of resources, creating fiscal and monetary policies that scale up social protection, support employment, reduce poverty, and address inequalities. It proposes four pillars to be applied across public, innovative and multilateral funding sources to …
The transition to a green economy will create many new jobs around the world, including in sub-Saharan Africa. Will women share-in these new jobs, and will the economic transformation help women move into higher-paid, more stable jobs that require more education and skills? The short answer is “yes” – provided …
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 national lockdown in March 2020, India saw the mass movement of an estimated 11.4 million migrants back to their home states. Many more remained stranded at worksites and destination cities, and experienced hunger, indebtedness and sickness. The vulnerability of migrants was substantially exacerbated by …
Uganda’s economic recovery will be faster, stronger, and more sustainable if it brings more women into the center of profitable economic activity, according to the 18th edition of the Uganda Economic Update (UEU). Uganda Economic Update: Putting Women at the Center of Uganda’s Economic Revival, which projects the country’s economic …
After several months of low COVID-19 case numbers, Malawi is facing a fourth wave. While an increasing share of the global population is protected by vaccines, only about 6.5 percent of the population is vaccinated in Malawi, increasing the country’s vulnerability to the virus. The Government response to the third …
This report provides guidance on how to integrate gender equality in laws and policies on climate change and disaster management in Asian Development Bank's developing member countries. Globally, women are disproportionately impacted by climate change and disasters due to gender inequalities and limited opportunities to participate in decision-making processes. The …
Women play a key role in nature conservation, yet they often lack the inputs, technologies, training and extension services, and various enablers and linkages that can enhance the effectiveness of their efforts. Evidence indicates that gender-inclusive and gender-sensitive conservation practices have far-reaching multiplier impacts. This report brings out gender-specific knowledge …
