Dominique van de Walle is a former Lead Economist in the World Bank’s Research Department. She holds a Masters in Economics from the London School of Economics and a Ph. D. in economics from the Australian National University. She began her career at the World Bank as a member of the core team that produced the 1990 World Development Report on Poverty. Her research interests are in the general area of poverty and public policy, encompassing rural development, infrastructure (rural roads and water), poverty and women's labor force participation, impact evaluation and safety nets. The bulk of her recent research has been on gender related issues.