Gender Publications

Dec 10, 2020

Bridging the Gap: Emerging Private Sector Response and Recovery Measures for Gender Equality amid COVID-19

As COVID-19 widens global gender gaps, IFC and UN Women have partnered to showcase a growing number of companies and organizations around the world that are taking action to ensure the economic inclusion and social well-being of their employees, customers, and suppliers, as well as local communities. This report aims to inform companies around the world on emerging practices and initiatives for supporting women employees, entrepreneurs, and those in value chains amid the pandemic.

English | 34 pages | 2020 IFC & UN Women

Dec 9, 2020

Case Study: Exploring Client Approaches to Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response - Alcazar Energy, Egypt

Alcazar Energy recognizes that workplace bullying, and in particular any forms of sexual harassment, could impact business operations and the employee’s wellbeing.

8 pages | © December 2020 IFC | Complimentary

Dec 9, 2020

Case Study: Exploring Client Approaches to Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response - TAQA Arabia, Energy, Egypt

TAQA Arabia recognized a need to consider specific risks for women as part of the project’s environmental, social, and health and safety requirements.

6 pages | © December 2020 IFC | Complimentary

Dec 9, 2020

Case Study: Exploring Client Approaches to Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response - Asyaport, Infrastructure, Turkey

The case study explores how the company has taken action to promote equal opportunities and highlights the the implementation of the company’s Environmental and Social Action Plan.

7 pages | © December 2020 IFC | Complimentary

Dec 9, 2020

Case Study: Exploring Client Approaches to Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response - Gas Natural Açu (GNA), Energy, Brazil

The case study explores how the company has implemented key elements for prevention of gender-based violence and sexual harassment within the workplace.

9 pages | © December 2020 IFC | Complimentary

Dec 9, 2020

Case Study: Exploring Client Approaches to Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response - Bioparques de Occidente, Agribusiness and Forestry, Mexico

The case study explores how the company has implemented a holistic approach towards the prevention of gender-based violence and sexual harassment within the workplace and its worker housing complexes.

10 pages | © December 2020 IFC | Complimentary

Dec 1, 2020

Women and Ride-hailing in Sri Lanka

This research explores whether the ride-hailing industry could play an important role in closing the gender gap in mobility and economic participation in Sri Lanka.

Nov 16, 2020

Private Equity and Value Creation: A Fund Manager’s Guide to Gender-smart Investing

This guide is a practical step-by-step road map for fund managers on how to strengthen gender diversity within their own firms and incorporate a gender focus into investment operations. It combines learnings from CDC and IFC’s experience with over 160 fund managers and draws on best practices with a series of case studies from stakeholders across the industry.

English | 109 pages | 2020 IFC & CDC Group

Nov 12, 2020

COVID-19 and Gender Equality: Six Actions for the Private Sector

This guidance note recommends six actions that private sector companies can implement to ensure that both women and men can return to economic activities during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and participate equally as leaders, employees, business owners, and consumers.

English | 45 pages | 2020 IFC

Nov 12, 2020

Sri Lankan Businesses Advance Gender Equality

The report consolidates lessons from the SheWorks Sri Lanka Partnership and shares business results and good practices from 15 leading SheWorks companies in Sri Lanka..

Nov 11, 2020

Disclosure and Transparency During COVID-19 – Increasing Resilience and Building Trust During and After the Pandemic

This tip sheet provides guidance for both listed and privately-owned companies on how to disclose what they are doing to manage the economic, environmental, and social impacts of the pandemic, using IFC’s Disclosure and Transparency Framework, which is focused on strategy, governance, and performance. This framework promotes the issuance of standardized corporate reports and data – and provides investors and key stakeholders with the information they need to assess company resiliency, preparedness, and continued management of material environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues both during and after the crisis. It can also provide guidance for stock exchanges and regulators who are adapting their disclosure and transparency framework during COVID-19.

Nov 2, 2020

Gender Lens Investments Enable Women Entrepreneurs to Thrive in Pakistan

The challenge of establishing and growing enterprises is even greater for women entrepreneurs in emerging economies, where women-owned and led small and medium enterprises (SMEs) face an estimated credit deficit of nearly $1.5 trillion.

Oct 27, 2020

Gendered Impact of COVID-19 on Employment in the Private Sector in Sri Lanka

The report presents a snapshot of the gender dimensions of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment in Sri Lanka.

Oct 14, 2020

Gendered Impacts of COVID-19 on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Sri Lanka

The report presents a snapshot of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) across Sri Lanka

Oct 9, 2020

Factsheet: Women in Agribusiness Value Chains

Despite their contributions, women in agriculture face unique challenges that hamper their productivity, in turn weakening rural economies, the businesses that depend on them, and the global food chain. This factsheet presents an overview of IFC’s Women in Agribusiness Value Chains program working with agribusiness clients across the world to help them close gender gaps and realize the benefits of gender inclusion in their value chain.

English | 2 pages | 2020 IFC

Sep 21, 2020

Powered by Women - Business Case for Gender Diversity and Equality in Nepal’s Hydropower Sector

This Powered by Women report was developed by International Finance Corporation (IFC) as part of its commitment to mainstream gender into its programs. By building the Business Case for Gender Equality and Diversity in Nepal’s Hydropower sector, this report provides the foundation for the Powered by Women Initiative to help companies promote business growth and efficiency and enhance sustainability through increased gender diversity.

50 pages | © September 2020 IFC | Complimentary

Sep 11, 2020

Factsheet: Women's Insurance Program

Women in emerging markets often lack insurance protection, exposing them to risks when they want to launch a business or need to pay for a healthcare emergency. This factsheet presents an overview of IFC's unique role as a strategic partner to the insurance sector through technical advice and investments.

English | 2 pages | 2020 IFC

Sep 9, 2020

Enhancing Employee Productivity & Well-Being in Challenging Times: A Gender-Smart Guide to Remote Work for Employers & Managers

This guide provides employers and managers with resources to conduct a gender-smart situational analysis to understand how the pandemic may be affecting genders differently. It offers guidance on implementing inclusive remote-work practices.

English | 2 pages| IFC 2020

Aug 14, 2020

Digital2Equal: Airbnb’s Home-Sharing Trainings

In 2018, the global travel platform Airbnb partnered with the World Bank and the Maharashtra State Rural Livelihood Mission to hold home-sharing training sessions in India. This case study explores how the program developed training modules aimed at improving women's ability to engage with guests and unlock the value of their homes.

English | 3 pages | 2020 IFC

Aug 14, 2020

Digital2Equal: DiDi Chuxing’s Inclusive Workplace Programs

For companies operating in the platform economy, gender dividends are particularly relevant as they are well placed to benefit from increased innovation and improved product and service design for closing current gaps. Global mobile transportation platform DiDi Chuxing realized that women in China face several barriers to equal employment. This case study highlights the company’s efforts to recruit and support more women in the tech sector through the DiDi Women’s Network.

English | 4 pages | 2020 IFC

Aug 14, 2020

Digital2Equal: Elo7 Grows its E-Commerce Platform by Helping Women Become Digital Entrepreneurs

Women comprise the majority of Brazilian online marketplace Elo7’s users. As part of IFC’s Digital2Equal initiative, Elo7 surveyed 1,000 sellers to better understand the needs women entrepreneurs. This case study highlights the survey’s key findings and how Elo7 utilized the insights to develop targeted tools and content aimed at helping women entrepreneurs professionalize their sales efforts in the digital world.

English | 3 pages | 2020 IFC

Aug 14, 2020

Digital2Equal: Facebook’s Use of Sex-Disaggregated Data to Design Targeted Programs for Women

In partnership with the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Facebook’s Future of Business (FOB) surveys have gathered insights from millions of small business owners across 97 countries. This case study highlights Facebook’s approaches and explores how insights from FOB surveys informed the development of programs which support women-owned enterprises’ participation in the digital economy through digital skills and business training.

English | 4 pages | 2020 IFC

Aug 14, 2020

Digital2Equal: Giraffe Sheds Light on South Africa’s Gender Income Gap

As part of IFC’s Digital2Equal initiative, South African recruitment app Giraffe analyzed salary figures from 122,000 job applicants on the platform. The findings, which are covered in this case study, reveal wage discrepancies between men and women across different sectors in South Africa. They also show a widening wage gap at the bottom of the distribution curve, indicating that low-income women earn significantly less than their male counterparts compared with women in middle- and high-income brackets.

English | 2 pages | 2020 IFC

Aug 14, 2020

Digital2Equal: Google’s Internet Saathi Program

Global technology company Google launched Internet Saathi—a program that seeks to encourage rural women in India to develop and pass on digital literacy skills in their communities—in collaboration with Tata Trusts. The program has helped more than 30 million women learn about the internet in over 290,000 villages across 20 states in India, with over 20,000 villages added in the past year. This case study explores the opportunity to expand women’s access to information and addresses some of the social norms that exacerbate digital divides in India.

English | 3 pages | 2020 IFC

Aug 14, 2020

Digital2Equal: Grab’s Safer Everyday Tech Roadmap

Southeast Asian super app Grab initiated the Safer Everyday Tech Roadmap, aimed at raising the bar for safety standards in transportation. This case study explores the importance of safety as a key concern for women users of ride-hailing services and Grab’s design-centered approach in responding to these concerns.

English | 3 pages | 2020 IFC