The WDR 2012: Gender Equality and Development will focus on the evolution of
gender equality across the world in the context of the development process. The report
will consider gender equality as a core development goal in itself, and will argue that
gender equality matters for the pace of development. Improvements in gender equality can
generate gains in economic efficiency and improvements in other development outcomes. And
gender equality has consequences for the quality and representativeness of the
institutions a society develops.
For key dimensions of gender equality, the report
will show that although many women around the world still continue to struggle with
gender-based disadvantages, much has changed for the better and at a more rapid pace than
ever before. But the report will also show that progress needs to be expanded, protected
and deepened.
In order to understand why progress has varied
across dimensions of gender equality and between countries, the report will look at how
markets interact with formal and informal institutions to influence household
decision-making by providing incentives, shaping preferences, or imposing constraints.
Markets and institutions can combine to provide strong incentives for greater gender
equality, but can also fail to do so if they treat males and females differentially.
Policymakers and practitioners still face gaps in
knowledge both in how gender equality matters for development and how best to incorporate
these links in policy design. This WDR aims to bridge these gaps by building upon the
growing body of multidisciplinary theory, evidence, and data on these links while
highlighting the knowledge gaps that remain.
426 pages, Paperback