eAtlas of Gender is launched

Gender equality matters for development
The education and health levels of women and girls have improved greatly over the years. But in many parts of the world, women are still dying in childbirth, or not being born at all, at alarming rates. Women continue to lack voice and decision-making ability in the household and in society; and, their economic opportunities remain very constrained. This inequality is manifestly unfair. It is also bad economics: under-investing in girls and women puts a brake on poverty reduction and limits economic and social development. Two new products from the World Bank inform, through data, the progress of over 200 countries towards gender equality and development.

eAtlas of Gender
The new World Bank eAtlas of Gender, the latest in a suite of user-friendly, interactive electronic atlases, allows users to map and graph dozens of gender indicators over time and across countries. It allows users to see how a country fares on several dimensions of well-being and empowerment by clicking on an indicator after a keyword search. When the indicator is selected, a world map appears, showing the latest data for more than 200 economies. With this eAtlas, you can:

• Map more than 80 World Bank indicators worldwide
• Compare and view two maps simultaneously
• Animate maps to show change over time
• View all data in ranking tables and charts alongside maps
• Export maps and data for use in presentations and more
• Import your own data

For example, if you’re interested in seeing where your country stands on a range of gender issues, you could check out this new application to map and graph dozens of gender indicators over time and across countries. Say you are interested in seeing how your country fares on women’s participation in the labor market. Click on the indicator after a keyword search and a world map appears—clearly and colorfully showing the latest data for more than 200 economies.

To access the eAtlas of Gender, go to data.worldbank.org/atlas-gender

Little Data Book on Gender
This pocket guide has just been released and is a quick reference on gender statistics. It presents gender-disaggregated data for more than 200 countries in a straightforward, country-by-country reference on demography, education, health, labor force, political participation, and the Millennium Development Goals. Summary pages that cover regional and income group aggregates are also included.

This is the second issue of The Little Data Book on Gender and coincides with the launch of the World Development Report 2012, the Bank's annual flagship publication. This year's report looks at the facts and trends surrounding the various dimensions of gender equality in the context of the development process.

For more information on gender-related products, please visit the following links: