Ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8, I want to share an update on the World
Bank Group’s work on gender.
Addressing critical gender gaps, including female labor force participation, offers an opportunity to boost incomes and stimulate growth. Research from the World Bank has repeatedly made clear that accelerating gender equality can generate significant economic gains.
By David Malpass, President World Bank Group
March 3, 2020
Girls are attending school in greater numbers than ever before, and women are 
increasingly entering the labor force and leading businesses. Although we should celebrate this progress, much work remains in order for a girl born today to have the same opportunities as a boy.
Research from the World Bank and others shows that Moreover, it is the right thing to do. Fortunately, more countries recognize that economies can reach their full potential only with the full participation of both women and men.
The World Bank Group is supporting countries in achieving this goal in important areas, including the removal of discriminatory laws, investment to close gender gaps, broadening access to finance, and stepping up efforts to prevent gender-based violence.
Deadline: 16-Mar-2020 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time – Washington D.C.)
WBGs Advisory Project aims to design and deliver startup/acceleration program for 
competitively selected women-owned SMEs in high-tech sector in three regions. It will consist of a mix of individual and group mentoring, coaching and technical advisory aimed to improve business skills, investment readiness, and soft skills (negotiation, confidence, pitching, and so on) of beneficiaries as well as access to larger business networks and funding. The program will also include a series of networking events, aimed at expanding women-owned SMEs linkages to financial institutions and new business networks. Particular focus will be placed on creating links between women-owned SMEs and (1) financial institutions to address accessing to finance constraints; and (2) large firms/corporates to facilitate women integration in supply chains and access to business networks. The expected impact is the improved performance of women entrepreneurs in terms of revenue, funding obtained, jobs created.
Deadline: 17-Jul-2019 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time – Washington D.C.)
This assignment specifically focuses on increasing women-led SMEs access to domestic 
and export markets through e-commerce, and to increase their sales from e-commerce in Lebanon.
There are two main sub-activities envisaged: (1) scoping and market analysis to understand where are the key challenges and constraints to e-commerce for womens SMEs; and (2) develop and deliver a package of support services to women-led SMEs, in partnership with local stakeholders, that will increase sales, markets and profits via e-commerce.
Deadline: 17-Jun-2019 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time – Washington D.C.)
To address both the skills gap and the gender gap, IFC, in partnership with construction
company Rhodes PNG, is exploring the possibility of establishing a technical training college for women in PNG. Rhodes PNG has identified a site located at their Napa Napa campus, outside of Port Moresby, and have indicated they are interested in donating that site for use as a womens technical training college. IFC is now at the stage of conducting a detailed market assessment which will feed into the development of a detailed business plan for the proposed training college (Womens TVET project).
The objective of this assignment is to conduct a landscape analysis and market study to assess the feasibility of the proposed Womens TVET Project. It will include an assessment of the industry demand for skills and commitment toward supporting improved supply of skilled workers; , the current training supply in PNG; as well as the challenges and opportunities for women to access more and better training, and ultimately to access jobs. This assignment also aims to raise awareness of the project and obtain initial buy-in from industry.
Outputs under this assignment will be use to canvass potential investors and inform a go/ no go decision prior to developing a full business plan
Let’s Talk Development. By: Chris Jochnick, World Bank, March 19, 2018
Momentum is building behind a land rights revolution. Last year, just prior to the World Bank’s Annual Land and Poverty Conference, I wrote about the many factors pushing land to the top of the global agenda. To maintain this momentum we must pay greater attention to gender and women’s land rights.
Land is more than an important asset in the fight against global poverty and gender inequality. For most people living in poverty, it is an essential, indispensable means to leading a healthy, safe, and productive life. Despite this, hundreds of millions of people who depend on land around the world – especially women – lack access or secure tenure rights to it.
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has some of the most important historical and cultural sites in the world, and stunning natural landscapes. Couple these incredible assets with the region’s famous hospitality and rich culinary traditions, MENA is an ideal destination to grow travel and tourism, and harness its power for development work. However, MENA is behind other regions in women’s agency, economic opportunities, workforce participation and more. This presents a unique opportunity to leverage tourism to bridge the gender gap in the region. Gender differences in unemployment rates are particularly exacerbated in the West Bank and Gaza, where the overall economic situation is bleak due to instability, and gender dynamics are and exacerbated by the conflict.
When Agnes became a young widow with four children still to raise, many people in her community thought she would have to take her children out of school. 
But education is important to Agnes and to support her family, she turned to business and became a cross border trader.
“I buy millet in Uganda and sell it in Kenya,” she explains. “In Kenya, I buy sugar and then bring back to Uganda.”
Netherlands for the World Bank 
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