World Bank Gender Strategy 2024-2030 - Accelerate Gender Equality for a Sustainable, Resilient, and Inclusive Future

Jul 19, 2026

Upload by Jiven

The 2024–2030 World Bank Gender Strategy advances gender equality as an urgent, foundational right for all people. It addresses the disproportionate harms that crises impose on women, girls, sexual and gender minorities, and marginalized groups, linking gender constraints to development outcomes. The strategy proposes innovation, financing, and collective action to end gender-based violence, elevate human capital, expand economic opportunities, and engage women as leaders, supported by a lessons-informed implementation shift.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages37

Reading Time1 h 33 min

AccessFree to download

Overview

The historic and ongoing urgent challenge

Conceptual framework

Shaping the World Bank 2024–2030 gender strategy

Implementing the gender strategy

Conclusion

References

Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized ACCELERATE GENDER EQUALITY FOR A SUSTAINABLE, RESILIENT, AND INCLUSIVE FUTURE The World Bank will support innovation, financing, and collective action to end genderbased violence, elevate human capital, expand and enable economic opportunities, and engage women as leaders. OVERVIEW i I. THE HISTORIC AND ONGOING URGENT CHALLENGE 1 Progress toward gender equality has been slow, uneven, and sometimes even reversed 1 Gender equality is central to sustainable, resilient, and inclusive development 4 Evidence and lessons learned inspire and inform the way forward 5 II. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 7 Gender outcomes are shaped by formal and informal institutions, actors, and power relations 7 Drivers of Change for gender equality: Innovating, Financing, and Acting Collectively 9 III. SHAPING THE WORLD BANK 2024–2030 GENDER STRATEGY 12 Translating the ambition of the World Bank Gender Strategy into gender outcomes 12 Foundational wellbeing: End Gender-based Violence & Elevate Human Capital 13 Economic Participation: Expand and Enable Economic Opportunities 15 Leadership: Engage Women as Leaders 18 IV. IMPLEMENTING THE GENDER STRATEGY 19 Learning from implementation of the 2016-2023 Gender Strategy 19 The World Bank will engage with greater ambition and differently 21 Shift \#1 Elevating the ambition to accelerate gender equality for all 21 Shift \#2 Supporting innovation, financing, and collective action 22 Shift \#3 Complementing the gender tag and flag with accountability for results 25 Monitoring implementation 27 CONCLUSION 28 REFERENCES 29 This document is being made publicly available prior to Board consideration. This does not imply a presumed outcome. This document may be updated following Board consideration and the updated document will be made publicly available in accordance with the Bank’s Access to Information Policy. ABBREVIATIONS AFE Africa Eastern and Southern AFW Africa Western and Central COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease 2019 CPF Country Partnership Framework CSO Civil Society Organization DPO Development Policy Operation EAP East Asia and Pacific FCV Fragility, Conflict and Violence GBV Gender-Based Violence GDP Gross Domestic Product GSIP Gender Strategy Implementation Plan IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development IDA International Development Association IFC International Finance Corporation LAC Latin America and the Caribbean MENA Middle East and North Africa MIGA Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency SAR South Asia Region SEA/SH Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment SOGI Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity SSA Sub-Saharan Africa STEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Math UN United Nations We-Fi Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative OVERVIEW Gender equality is an urgent imperative. The world is experiencing an unprecedented set of crises with disproportionately negative impacts on women, girls, sexual and gender minorities, and marginalized groups. Climate change, fragility, forced displacement, and pandemics threaten hardwon gains in women’s human capital. As crises intertwine with structural transformations, gender constraints increasingly harm societies, including men. Adding to the urgency are reversals in countries like Afghanistan, forced displacement from conflicts, and backlash in many societies. At stake is the fundamental human right of gender equality for all people, a matter of fairness and justice. It is a foundation for a peaceful and prosperous world and essential for development. Studies consistently show that removing gender barriers unlocks economic productivity, reduces poverty, deepens social cohesion, and enhances well-being for current and future generations. Women’s participation and decision making improves community resource management

FAQs

What is the core ambition of the 2024–2030 World Bank Gender Strategy?

To accelerate gender equality for a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive future through innovation, financing, and collective action.

Which key outcomes does the strategy target?

It focuses on foundational wellbeing (ending gender-based violence and building human capital), economic participation (better jobs and broader asset and service access), and leadership (advancing women’s participation, decision-making, and leadership).

How does the strategy plan to implement change?

It builds on the 2016–2023 gender strategy, raising ambition, supporting innovation and financing, and adding accountability for results, alongside monitoring of implementation.

Jul 19, 2026

Upload by Jiven