On International Women’s Day 2024, we celebrate women’s achievements, yet recognize the urgent need to accelerate gender equality and equal opportunity for all. Too many women are still held back, and the cost of inaction is high.

We need urgent action to accelerate gender equality. Equality of opportunity for all is a matter of fairness and justice. It is essential for development. Women and girls are often more vulnerable to poverty, crises, and climate change. Gender equality and women’s participation in decision making – in communities, businesses, workplaces, and households – is key to well-being and prosperity. The evidence is clear: removing gender barriers unlocks economic productivity, reduces poverty, and deepens social cohesion. Closing the gender gap in employment could raise long-term GDP per capita by nearly 20 percent on average across countries.

Accelerating gender equality is at the heart of the World Bank Group’s mission to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet.  

The draft World Bank Group Gender Strategy raises our ambition to accelerate gender equality to end poverty on a livable planet, with a focus on innovation, financing and collective action.

Doing our part to speed up progress, our upcoming Gender Strategy (2024-2030) has three ambitious objectives to:

• End gender-based violence and elevate human capital
• Expand and enable economic opportunities for women
• Engage more women as leaders

 Accelerating gender equality is not easy, but together, we can drive change. Join us for a series of events and explore more resources here.