Working Women:Better Outcomes for Growth

Mayra BuvinicDirector, Gender and Development Group

World Bank

• Selective coverage

• Evidence-based

• Results-oriented

• Relies on incentives

GAP Guiding Principles

• Mainstream gender in Bank economic sector operations.

• Support analytical work and tools to build the evidence base and influence Bank staff and policy in the long-term.

GAP: Changing the way the Bank does business

Policy level Agency level

Empower women to compete in markets

Make markets work for women

Advance women’s economic empowerment

GAP Framework

GAP Framework

Product Markets Include female-owned businesses and farms in supply chains

Form women’s business, purchasing, and transport associations

Financial Markets Offer commercial credit lines and financial services for women

Support self-help groups and ROSCAs

Land Markets Promote joint titling to land to enable women to access loans

Ensure women’s participation in land adjudication and registration processes

Labor Markets Certify good gender practices in firms

Provide labor intermediation services to young women

Policy Level: Make markets work for

women

Agency Level:

Empower women to compete in markets

Infrastructure Increases Access to all 4 Markets

GAP Labor Market Portfolio

7

GAP Funding

Source Pledges Receipts

Trust Fund $ 48,709,175 $ 25,452,087

Bank Budget $ 11,741,231 $ 11,341,231

Total $60,450,406 $36,793,318

Financial Contribution to the GAP(as of September 2009)

This includes pledges to the new Adolescent Girls Initiative launched in October 2008.

8

GAP Allocation by Markets (197 activities)

As of September 2009

Infrastructure; 27; 14%

Labor; 57; 29%

Land and Agriculture; 43; 22%

Other; 30; 15%

PSD; 40; 20%

GAP Labor Market Activities

Area Number Funding (US$)

Research 10 737,000

ESW 20 1,684,000

Data 3 200,000

Impact Evaluation 13 1,397,500

Active Labor Market projects 5 637,330

AGI projects 5 17,000,000

Private Sector Leaders Forum 1 300,000

TOTAL 57 21,955,830

Women and the Financial Crisis

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Women join the labor force in times of crisis

Source: WDI, 2008

Argentina Brazil Mexico

-3-2-10123

% Change in Labor Force Participation (1993-95) - Latin American Crisis

FemaleMale

Indonesia Korea,Rep. Philippines-3-2-10123

% Change in Labor Force Participation (1997-99) - East Asian Crisis

12

Women’s labor supply is counter-cyclical in low-income HHs.

.

Source: Sonia Bhalotra and Marcela Umana-Aponte, 2009. “Distress Work amongst Women?: The dynamics of labor supply in (66) developing countries”. University of Bristol

-0.5

0

0.5

1

0.42

0.88

-0.15

Percentage Point Change in female LFP from a 10% drop in GDP

13

Jobs and earnings losses

Cambodia’s garment industry has laid off 60,000 workers (20% of workforce of the sector).

Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association reported a layoff of 20,000 workers in January/February 2009.

In China more than 67,000 labor-intensive SMEs have closed down, with total job losses of up to 2.7 million.

Women informal sector producers may also lose jobs (even if informal sector usually cushions impacts of crisis). In Ahmedabad, India, ½ of self-employed women in the garment sector saw

their monthly earning decrease to less than 1000 Rupees, while all earned above that amount in November 2008l; and

31% saw significant decreases in the number of days worked (SEWA).

Lessons Learned

• Active labor market policies

• Increasing access to credit / entrepreneurship.

• Child care programs & family friendly policies

• CCTs & CDDs

Improving Women’s Work and Employability

Program features to attract women’s participation

• Type of work• Nature intermediary agency• Location work site• Child care provision• Below-market wages• Eligibility criteria• Explicit women targets

Interventions:• Wage subsidy• Training (including on-the-job)• Intermediation (job search, counseling, etc)• Public works

Results:• Increase employment rate, especially women• Mixed evidence on wage rates• Mixed evidence on effects of training• Little known on cost-effectiveness (impacts sustained 9 years)

Active Labor Market Projects

Voucher program (Pro- Empleo - Argentina) increased employment, especially for women and young workers

Active Labor Market Projects

Source: Galasso, Ravallion & Salvia (2001)

Percentage point increase in employment

Men Women0%

4%

8%

12%

16%

20%

3.4%

7.6%

Youth Employment Projects

Vocational training program (Jóvenes en Acción – Colombia) raised earnings and employment, with larger effects for women.

Source: Attanasio et al (2008)

Men Women Men WomenEmployment Earnings

0%

4%

8%

12%

16%

20%

7%

14%

8%

18%

Percentage increase

• Job displacement?

• Lower wages?

• Crowd out private training?

• Differentials by gender in exiting from workfare?

• Differentials by gender in stigmatization?

Questions

Thank you