Most workers in developing countries are in informal employment-- that is, a job that does not come with social security benefits and leaving them with limited means to manage risks to their…

Nadir Mohammed, Roberta Gatti, Marco Ranzani, Gladys Lopez-Acevedo, Nistha Sinha, Adam Elsheikhi |

Imagine a world where every girl and woman and can manage her periods with dignity and without hindering her education, health, sense of self-esteem, social mobility, and economic opportunities.…

Saroj Kumar Jha, Hana Brixi, Jaime Saavedra, Thorsten Kiefer |

Gender equality and fair treatment of women and girls is a moral imperative, but global data analytics, evidence and experience clearly demonstrate that including women also fosters economic…

Christopher Stephens |

The recent United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, has raised the prominence of climate action in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)…

Asif Islam, Dalal Moosa, Federica Saliola |

The World Bank updated its global poverty lines last month and the number of poor is now significantly different in certain countries and regions. For the EAP region, this changes our view of the…

Rinku Murgai, Hassan Zaman |

As we keep hearing the term “inflation” in the news every day, it’s worth revisiting what that really means for MENA countries. Here are four policies that tackle high inflation and low growth…

Nadir Mohammed, Kevin Carey, Johannes Hoogeveen, Gladys Lopez-Acevedo |

The World Bank conducted a second round of its High Frequency (HiFy) Phone Survey in October and November 2021 to monitor the well-being of individuals and households through time.

Zainab Ali Ahmad, Ririn Purnamasari, Sean Hambali |

This working paper provides new, cross-country, nationally-representative insights regarding land rights among men and women in Sub-Saharan Africa, where inequalities in land ownership often go…

Ardina Hasanbasri, Talip Kilic, Gayatri Koolwal, Heather Moylan |

Public sectors in MENA have struggled to reform for decades. Public sector employees account for 25% of total employment across the region and public sector salaries represent 32% of total…

Izzah Akram Malik, Jens Kromann Kristensen |

Economic recovery is now back in focus, against a backdrop of increased vaccination coverage and the reopening of economic sectors. While the global spread of COVID-19 was swift and far-reaching,…

Ririn Purnamasari, Zainab Ali Ahmad |