Persuasive evidence demonstrates that gender equality in education is central to economic development. Despite more than two decades of accumulated knowledge and evidence of what works in improving gender equality, progress on the ground remains slow and uneven across countries. What is missing? Given that education is a critical path to accelerate progress toward gender equality and the empowerment of women, what is holding us back? These questions were discussed at the global symposium 'Education: A Critical Path to Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment', which was sponsored by the World...

'Risk-Based Supervision of Pension Funds' provides a review of the design and experience of risk-based pension fund supervision in countries that have been leaders in the development of these methods. The utilization of risk-based methods originates primarily in the supervision of banks. In recent years it has increasingly been extended to other types of financial intermediaries, including pension funds and insurers. The trend toward risk-based supervision of pensions reflects an increasing focus on risk management in both banking and insurance based on three key elements: capital...

'Linking Education Policy to Labor Market Outcomes' examines current research and new evidence from Ghana and Pakistan--representative of two of the poorest regions of the world--to assess how education can increase income and help people move out of poverty. This study indicates that in addition to early investments in cognitive and noncognitive skills--which produce a high return and lower the cost of later educational investment by making learning at later ages more efficient--quality, efficiency, and linkages to the broader macro-economic context also matter. Education and relevant skills...

Realizing the potential of young people in Latin America and the Caribbean is essential both to their well-being and to the region's long-term welfare. Young people are often seen as the source of problems that plague the area, namely rising levels of crime and violence, unemployment, and drug use. However, there is little understanding of the problems young people face, the reasons that some engage in risky behaviors, and how best to support the most vulnerable. Youth at Risk in Latin America and the Caribbean attempts to fill this knowledge gap by identifying at-risk youth and providing...

Poor people derive most of their income from work. However, there is insufficient understanding of the role of employment and earnings as a link between growth and poverty reduction, especially in low income countries. The 'Making Work Pay' series analyzes the important roles of labor markets, employment, productivity, and labor income in facilitating shared growth and promoting poverty reduction. 'Making Work Pay in Bangladesh' provides a description of the trends in growth, poverty, and labor market outcomes in Bangladesh. It assesses the linkages among changes in output, employment, and...

Poor people derive most of their income from work. However, there is insufficient understanding of the role of employment and earnings as a link between growth and poverty reduction, especially in low income countries. The 'Making Work Pay' series analyzes the important roles of labor markets, employment, productivity, and labor income in facilitating shared growth and promoting poverty reduction. 'Making Work Pay in Nicaragua' provides a description of the trends in growth, poverty, and labor market outcomes in Nicaragua. It assesses the linkages among changes in output, employment, and...

Around the world, pension reform remains at the center of public debate. Its social, fiscal, and macroeconomic implications confront policy makers, practitioners, and academia with challenging questions. Pension systems in aging societies in need of reform and further stressed by the pressures of globalization require parallel reforms of the labor market and effective lifelong learning, not only to promote working longer, but to ensure that people can actually do so. At the same time, the working population should be motivated to contribute to pension schemes and prepare for old age....

The story of Mozambique is one of successful transformation. Since 1994, when it faced a decimated infrastructure, a weak economy, and fragile institutions, it has sustained high economic growth and has made tangible reductions in poverty. Its recovery from civil conflict and extreme poverty make it a showcase for other nations embarking on similar transitions. Still, more than half of the population lives in poverty. Gaps persist between city dwellers and farmers, men and women, rich and poor. And although growth continues, there is concern that Mozambique's drive to reduce poverty may lose...

Safety nets are noncontributory transfer programs targeted to the poor or vulnerable. They play important roles in social policy. Safety nets redistribute income, thereby immediately reducing poverty and inequality; they enable households to invest in the human capital of their children and in the livelihoods of their earners; they help households manage risk, both ex ante and ex post; and they allow governments to implement macroeconomic or sectoral reforms that support efficiency and growth. To be effective, safety nets must not only be well intended, but also well designed and well...

Population aging is placing enormous pressures on the pension benefits governments are able to provide. The former transition economies of the countries of Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe (CESE) face unique challenges. The growth of their aging populations outpaces other European countries, while the growth of their financial markets (essential to fund pension provisions) lags behind. With support and direction from the ERSTE Foundation, an Austrian group focused on Central European policy issues, a World Bank team investigated the challenges faced by these countries against the...