Publication

This paper discusses how the World Development Report of 2012 shows that the Bank now acknowledges that "....social and cultural factors make it difficult for women to participate with equal rights in the social and political life of their societies." This statement shows a sea change in how the World Bank thinks about women's equality. In the past, they viewed gender equality as a natural side effect of bringing greater prosperity to a region, but a more complex narrative has emerged where increased prosperity for a nation as a whole won't necessarily make it any easier for a woman to get an education, start a business, or have access to birth control.