Main messages October, 2011

EQUAL? Looking back over the last quarter century, you observe a paradox: very fast progress in some areas; little or no progress in others.

Equal?... Example… In low & middle income countries life expectancy among women has increased by 20 years since 1960 …. And yet, relative to boys and men, almost 4 million women die too early in the developing world compared with rich countries, almost 1 million in India

Missing women 1990 21% 34% 31% 2008 30% 29% 27% Two-fifths are never born – a problem that is known in China and India, but also merging in other countries such as the Caucuses. One-sixth die in early childhood and about one-third die in their reproductive years. This is a remaining problem in parts of South Asia and getting worse in Sub-Saharan Africa. Problem has worsen for both high and low HIV prevalence countries High HIV prevalence changed from 38 to 328, and in low HIV from 264 to 423 1990: 265,000 2008: 257,000 1990: 428,000 2008: 251,000 1990: 388,000 2008: 228,000

What does the WDR do? (1) Do these inequalities matter? The Report asks 3 questions: (1) Do these inequalities matter? (2) Why do they persist? Why do these inequalities matter FOR DEVELOPMENT Our aim is to: Elaborate on the evolution of gender equality over time and across/within countries Explain what has driven change in different dimensions of gender equality and how these changes have related to economic growth Explore how global economic integration may impact gender equality and result in opportunities and new challenges Enhance our understanding of the role for public action in promoting gender equality across different dimensions including the payoff in terms of development (3) What do we do to eliminate them?

Is the right thing to do… (1) Why should we care? Is the right thing to do… ... is the smart thing to do Matter intrinsically: gender equality is a core development objective in its own right. But also matter for development and development policy making: gender equality is smart economics.

Inequality has a cost economic costs shortchanges the next generation and leads to institutions and policies that are unrepresentative 44% of Africa’s agricultural labor force are women If fertilizer and labor were reallocated from husbands and wives, total h.hold output would increase by 6% with the resources they currently have. If female farmers had same access to fertilizers and other inputs as male farmers, yields would increase by 14% in Malawi, 17% in Ghana, 20 percent in Kenya, 21% in Benin. Eliminating barriers that prevent women from working in certain occupations or sectors would reduce the productivity gap between male and female workers by one third to one half and increase output per worker by 3-25% across a range of countries: 8% in South Africa; 10% in Botswana, 4-11% in Cameroon; 4-12% in Ethiopia; 8-15% in Mauritius; 1-13% in Tanzania; 3-9% in Uganda; 9-12% in Zambia. 10-22% in Egypt; 8-24% in Morocco; 10-18% in Algeria; 10-22% in Turkey

How do we explain progress: The education example CCTs INFORMAL INSTITUTIONS ECONOMIC OPPS. MARKETS Increasing returns to education HOUSEHOLDS Stable income AGENCY ENDOWMENTS Where there has been progress, such as education, it is because growth, markets and institutions (formal and informal) have all worked to close gender gaps. When market signals, formal institutions and income growth all come together to support investments in women, gender equality can and does improve very quickly. And these improvements can occur even when social norms may take time to adapt. FORMAL INSTITUTIONS Lower costs Growth Gender Equality

No Progress: Economic Opportunities INFORMAL INSTITUTIONS Social norms on care/market work INFORMAL INSTITUTIONS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES MARKETS Differential access to labor/credit/land markets, and networks HOUSEHOLS Differential allocation time/resources MARKETS HOUSEHOLDS AGENCY ENDOWMENTS But…markets and institutions (formal and informal) can sometimes work against gender equality-in ways that are often mutually reinforcing. Where we haven’t seen progress this has been for one of two reasons: (1) sometimes there is a single channel of intervention for policy, which is complex and can be easily blocked. Maternal mortality: results from a failure of institutions to deliver adequate maternal health services. (2) gender gaps also persist where markets, institutions and households combine to limit progress – that is where women face multiple constraints in mkts, households and institutions. Gaps in productivity and earnings, for example, are driven by deep seated gender differences in time use (reflecting social norms about who does house and care work), in rights of ownerships and control over land and assets, and in the workins of markets and formal institutions which work in ways that disadvanatge women. FORMAL INSTITUTIONS Biased law/regulations, and limited infrastructure FORMAL INSTITUTIONS Growth Gender Equality

(3) What do we do to eliminate these gaps? Focus on gaps that do not disappear with growth Gender gaps in human endowments Earnings and productivity gaps Gender differences in voice and agency The reproduction of gender inequality over time Target determinants of gender inequality Target the determinants/causes of gender inequality (sometimes multiple – e.g. employment segregation) Priorities have to be country specific

EQUAL ! THANK YOU www.worldbank.org/wdr2012