Mainstreaming Gender in World Bank Lending: An Update

This report evaluates progress in mainstreaming gender in Bank lending since 1994. It also examines the integration of gender into project objectives and analyzes all investment lending with nominated gender related actions approved in FY 94-96. Lastly, the update reviews the gender content of selected sector work. The major findings are: projects with gender related actions achieved their overall objectives more often than similar projects without gender actions approved in the same years; projects that explicitly incorporated gender goals into the main project objectives are the most likely to achieve their gender objectives; the design quality of gender related actions improved significantly in FY 94 and FY 95; and there is still substantial room for increasing the proportion of projects and Country Assistance Strategies (CASs) that systematically address gender issues. Gender work may reinforce, and benefit from, other initiatives to make social development a key element of the Bank's strategic agenda. The update calls for actions to: ensure that social assessments, performance indicators, and Implementation Completion Reports address gender concerns; expand and deepen gender related research; develop monitorable targets for implementing the gender action plans; and identify priority gender related goals and targets within each network, and promote institutional coordination.