Gender
Why the infrastructure industry should create more opportunities for women
This International Women’s Day, it’s time for the industry to inspire inclusion, by creating more opportunities for women and for social mobility. Infrastructure is at the bottom of the table when it comes to percentage of women in the workforce, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap report.
Transformative Finance: Key to Accelerating Equality
With International Women’s Day around the corner, governments as well as civil society are negotiating the advancement of women at the Commission on the Status of Women in New York. This day is also a sad reminder that equality is far from where it needs to be. Women only enjoy 64% of the same legal protection than men according to the latest Women, Business and the Law report. Women are also disproportionately enduring climate change impacts and are less able to participate in shaping mitigation and adaptation solutions.
Did you say, “Women and Girls in Science”? Meet Sally, who proves that women can succeed in STEM
Promoting women in science is a key focus of the African Higher Education Centers of Excellence (ACE) program, launched in 2014 to support higher skills development in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Mbassally “Sally” Manneh is one of those “Girls in Science” who has successfully achieved her dream to become an architect. Read her inspiring story on Worldbank.org
“Hacking” the cybersecurity skills gap in developing countries
The shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals has reached a record high in 2023, with about 4 million vacancies worldwide. From incident response and cybercrime prosecution to critical infrastructure protection, every facet of cybersecurity relies on a talented workforce to function effectively. To close the cybersecurity skills gap, we must close the gender gap. Read the full […]
What Are The Climate Solutions That We’re Leaving On The Table? Ask Women Entrepreneurs
The latest research by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), supports that women in green and climate-related businesses could drive more sustainable impact. One reason for this is that women’s proximity to the impacts of climate change equips them with unique insights. Full story on on Entrepreneur Middle East.
Bogotá, mujeres al volante
En una cultura donde los puestos de trabajo suelen definirse en función del sexo, un tema es que las empresas busquen contratar mujeres, y otro más desafiante es obtener resultados que transformen la naturaleza organizaciones de las empresas. Todo comienza por un cambio de percepción para comprender los tipos de trabajo que las mujeres pueden […]
Bogotá’s women in the e-bus driver’s seat
In a culture where job roles are often prescribed based on gender, it’s one thing for a company to emphasize hiring women; it’s another to achieve results that transform the very nature of the company. It all starts with changing hearts and minds about the kinds of jobs women can do. A group of municipal […]
Data must fuel gender equality. Here’s how to do it
Gender data are key to achieving gender equality and a form of empowerment for women and girls around the world. At the global level, gender data enables policy makers and businesses to take evidence-based decisions that increase women’s well-being, access to economic opportunities and overall development outcomes. Click to read the full story on Worldbank.org.
Business’s Role in Advancing Women, Children, and Adolescents’ Wellbeing
A clear link exists between economic prosperity and the health of women and children. For business, engaging in global health aligns with strategic economic decisions that promote gender equality, enhance economic growth, and build prosperous societies. Read the full article on businessfightspoverty.org
Metals and Mining Hold the Key to the Energy Transition. Gender-smart Businesses Can Be the Driver.
The shift to a low-carbon future will rely on critical minerals such as graphite, lithium and cobalt, and mining will be key to making the transition a reality. To meet these needs in sustainable ways, mining companies will have to become not only more climate-responsive but also equitable, including increasing women in the workforce, on […]
Deliver the future: Catalyzing opportunities for women, children and adolescents
Today’s intertwined crises have brought new challenges for the health of women, children, and adolescents, particularly those in the hardest to reach communities. The tepid post COVID-19 recovery in developing countries, along with shocks such as climate change, fragility, debt distress, food shortages and energy price increases, are constraining fiscal space and burdening already stretched health […]
Gender-smart climate finance is critical for progress, results, and impact
We know all too well that the multiple crises facing the world – food insecurity, energy access, global health, conflict and climate change – have disproportionate impacts on the most vulnerable. The frightening reality is that these crises are also splintering our efforts to address critical social development challenges, such as the stubborn gaps that exist between […]
Closing Gender Gaps Unlocks Infrastructure Benefits for All
Adriana Maria Eftimie and Mary Dominic dedicate their careers to ensuring the benefits from infrastructure operations are shared equitably within communities, including women and other underserved groups. As part of IFC’s Sustainable Infrastructure Advisory, they are working to raise the bar on how infrastructure businesses approach community development and engage stakeholders, particularly women—helping clients close […]
Integrating gender and social inclusion in nature-based solutions: a way forward
Nature based solutions (NBS) aim to protect, restore, and manage natural ecosystems, often in combination with gray infrastructure, with the objective of strengthening climate resilience while providing environmental and socioeconomic benefits. However, if not designed correctly, women, persons with disabilities, low-income households, and other marginalized groups may face barriers to accessing these benefits. Local and indigenous […]
Equality to Safeguard the Environment: How Women Improve the Environmental Performance of the Minerals Sector
Mining companies and stakeholders in the mining sector are increasingly acknowledging the tremendous potential and essential role of women in the minerals industry. The same trend is visible in the international discourse on climate change. This blog explores how women are disproportionately affected by climate change and environmental degradation. It looks at how important it […]
We Can’t Fight Climate Change Without Fighting for Gender Equity
Gender equity and environmental sustainability may seem like unrelated issues, but research shows that they are in fact closely intertwined. Women and other underserved groups are disproportionately impacted by the global climate crisis, but they are also uniquely positioned to lead the fight for sustainability. In this piece, the authors offer six strategies to help […]
Public transport is key to strengthening women’s economic participation in MENA
Women in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have outperformed many other regions in terms of life expectancy, infant mortality, and tertiary education. Yet, increased educational attainment has not led to an increase in their economic participation. As countries look at measures to bring more women into the workforce, public transport systems must be […]
Digital Learning Delivers Results for Women
Online learning can offer educational options and professional opportunities to many women in emerging economies who would otherwise face limited choices. New research from IFC, developed in partnership with Coursera and the European Commission, shows that digital education that responds to the needs and circumstances of women in emerging markets “promotes gender equality and offers […]
Empowering Young Women in Saint Lucia’s Energy Sector
The energy sector remains one of the least gender-diverse sectors, and the Caribbean is no exception. Girls tend to be steered away from science, technology engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields from as early as primary school years. There remains the prevailing perception of women’s inferiority in performing more technical work and that engineering is a […]
Lifting barriers to gender-responsive infrastructure
From a macro-economic perspective, applying a gender-lens to infrastructure development would increase the total GDP in OECD countries by 2.5% by 2050. Developing safe and quality infrastructure that is gender-responsive is therefore vital to an inclusive green economy. While good practices and actions exist, many countries still face multi-faceted challenges, ranging from awareness and capacity to […]
People and planet together: Why women and girls are at the heart of climate action
As leaders gather in Sharm el-Sheikh for COP27, everyone is thinking about how to accelerate global climate action in a world facing multiple crises. Doing this will require greening entire economies and making transformative investments to reduce emissions, scale up adaptation, and build resilience. Women and girls are at the heart of this. Read the […]
A Sustainable Future for Infrastructure Finance
A remarkable new trend is taking hold in the world of infrastructure finance. Sustainable Finance—investments structured with environmental, social, and governance criteria—saw unprecedented growth in 2021, reaching over $1.6 trillion in total annual issuance and more than doubling 2020 volumes. Why is the rise of Sustainable Finance a big deal? Because it offers tangible evidence […]
En Bogotá, un estudio revela las repercusiones del COVID-19 en las mujeres cuidadoras
Así es como luce la angustia en redes sociales: “Conozco el caso de una mujer y su hija que están en riesgo. Su pareja las golpea, la amenazó de muerte (…)”. Una muestra más: “Soy madre soltera cabeza de hogar de un joven con discapacidad, ahora estoy sin empleo, no hay subsidio al desempleo, la […]
In Bogotá, Impact Mapping Shows Covid-19’s Strain on Women Caregivers
The City of Bogota and IFC leveraged “social listening” techniques, analyzing millions of public social media mentions about Covid-19 stresses faced by women.
The Gendered Impacts of COVID-19: How the Private Sector Can Play a Crucial Role
As companies formulate COVID-19 response plans, those which address gender-specific vulnerabilities will amplify their effectiveness. Ultimately, the pandemic reinforces the case for stakeholder capitalism: when business acts in the interests of society, we realize mutual gains, increase shared value, and bolster resilience in ways that were not previously possible.
Leveraging data: 7 Factors for Maximizing Digital Opportunities in the Mining Sector
In our recent blog, we looked at three ways to keep vulnerable segments of the population — women and youth — from being left behind in the digital divide. Digital transformation and the renewed focus on the sustainability of mining offer great opportunities for the industry — it will help companies refresh their brands and […]
No Deal or New Deal? 3 Factors for Unlocking Digital Opportunities for Local Youth and Women
Data is the new gold. You may not wear it on your finger or store it in a bank, but you can use it to stimulate growth, create power, and exert influence. The digital economy, fueled by data, is growing faster than the traditional economy. But unlike talent, opportunity is not distributed equally. Youth in […]
Women & Local Content: Increasing Gender Equity in the Workforce & Supply Chain
To ensure business success, infrastructure and natural resources projects need to bring clear social and economic benefits to local stakeholders.
