While MENA has made strides in improving women and girls’ health, much more needs to be done. Understanding the impact of conflict on women and girls is critical for designing both preventive…

Fadia Saadah, Sameera Al Tuwaijri |

Heading into COP28, the World Bank Group’s vision for a livable planet supported by climate-resilient infrastructure takes on urgency. PPPs accelerate sustainable infrastructure by allowing…

Emmanuel Nyirinkindi |

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 |

Women of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have outperformed many other regions in terms of life expectancy, infant mortality, and tertiary education. Their performance in education has, in…

Ferid Belhaj, Paul Noumba Um, Muneeza Mehmood Alam |

Yemen faces multiple challenges, including conflict, displacement, and economic instability. These challenges have disproportionately affected women, limiting their access to economic…

Federica Ranghieri, Fayyaz Ahmad Faiz-Rasul |

This blog highlights two studies from past World Bank's Knowledge for Change Program (KCP)-supported research that demonstrate the importance of a data-driven and evidence-based approach to…

Kerina Wang, Lauren Nicole Core, KCP Program Management Unit (KCP PMU) |

There is growing recognition that natural resource exploitation and environmental pressures can fuel violent conflict. Compounding this threat, situations of conflict and environmental stress also…

Agathe Christien, Phoebe Spencer |

The energy sector remains a male-dominated field across the world, and this is no different in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Women in MENA already have a generally low participation…

Husam Beides, Elisabeth Maier |

As we commemorate the #16 Days of Activism campaign for yet another year, it is clear that no time should be lost in taking comprehensive and concrete action against the many forms of Gender-Based…

Ferid Belhaj, Ayat Soliman, Mirjam Kalle |