World Bank Group Advances Gender Strategy, Unveils Economic Opportunity Ambitions

New targets aim to accelerate use of broadband internet, social protection programs, and capital by 2030

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2024 – The World Bank Group today took the first steps toward implementing  Gender Strategy 2030, announcing a set of actions and concrete goals that aim to boost economic opportunities for more women.

The targets, unveiled at a flagship event during the 2024 World Bank Group Annual Meetings, will focus on use of broadband, social protection, and access to capital. These efforts will contribute to one of the three pillars of the Gender Strategy, which is dedicated to expanding and enabling women’s participation in the global economy.

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Investing in women means investing in solutions for peace and progress

Unequal access to jobs and finance. Limited access to education and healthcare. Exclusion 2024-08-07-1830-FCV-Gender-Blog-Leader_1140x500from decision-making. Risks of gender-based violence.

Women all over the world face these challenges, but even more so in countries facing fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV) where restrictive gender norms are often amplified and entrenched.

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The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group, and the World Health Organization Step Up Cooperation on Pandemic Preparedness

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2024 — The Heads of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank Group (WBG), and the World Health Organization (WHO) have agreed on broad principles for cooperation on pandemic preparedness. This cooperation will allow a scaling up of support to countries to prevent, detect and respond to public health threats through the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST), the WBG’s financial and technical support, and WHO’s technical expertise and in-country capabilities. The RST allows eligible member countries to access long-term financing at low interest rates to help implement reforms that address structural challenges to the stability of the economy, such as those posed by pandemics, and to enhance countries’ health systems resilience.

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East Asia and Pacific: Resilient Growth in Turbulent Times

Innovative financing solutions for improved nutrition

In spite of a commendable decline in stunting rates over the past 30 years, 148 million children shutterstock-2436807165-1140x500_1140x500worldwide remain stunted. The condition impairs their growth, health, development, and education and has long-term consequences for their future wellbeing.

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Powering progress: How Digital Public Infrastructure is transforming Latin America and the Caribbean

Financial system trends in six charts

Financial sector vulnerabilities in emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs) are largely divided along income lines. While vulnerabilities are low to moderate in higher-income EMDEs, half of lower-income countries face much higher risks. In addition, progress on financial development goals such as local capital market deepening has stalled in many countries. Advances, however, have been made on financial inclusion for individuals and in efforts to green the financial sector.

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High-Level Retreat in New Hampshire as part of Bretton Woods at 80 Initiative

WASHINGTON, September 24, 2024 – As part of the previously announced Bretton Woods at 80 Initiative, the IMF and the World Bank Group are hosting a high-level retreat at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, on September 26‒27, 2024.

This two-day Chatham House Rules event will bring together a small and diverse group of global thinkers—including individuals prominent in the fields of history, international relations, political science, finance, and business—at the location of the 1944 United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference (the “Bretton Woods Conference”).

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