In the poorest countries of South Asia, empowering women is essential to reducing poverty

On the busy streets of Male, the capital of the Maldives, Aminat carries a lone passenger, making her way as the city’s only taxi driver. In the hills of Nepal, 30-year-old Madhukala Adhikari works as a mobile builder, helping families rebuild homes destroyed in the 2015 earthquake. In Chittagong, Bangladesh, Murshida Begum is a garment worker turned successful entrepreneur, running her own tailoring shop and supporting her children. at school age.

Amina, Madhukala and Morsheda are examples of how women can access economic opportunities, the benefits are enormous. Women who earn money can invest in the well-being of their children and families, contribute to their communities, and help grow economies.

There are millions of these inspiring and independent women across South Asia – particularly in the poorest countries, served by the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA). They explain why closing gender gaps is so important to reducing poverty and boosting shared prosperity.

Over the past few decades, IDA has supported countries in South Asia to create more economic opportunities for women. Countries such as Bangladesh and Nepal have increased female labor force participation. Bangladesh has also achieved gender parity in primary and secondary school enrollment. South Asia has implemented laws that have improved opportunities for women and gained ten points on the Women in Business and Law Index over the past decade. For example, Nepal recently passed laws banning gender discrimination in employment.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to reverse some of these gains in women’s human capital accumulation and economic empowerment. School closures have left millions of students – especially girls – missing out on learning opportunities for months at a time. Evidence from Bangladesh indicates that girls are likely to spend more time on housework and childcare since the COVID-19 restrictions began.

“As countries in South Asia rebuild from the pandemic, it will be critical to ensure reforms that close these gender gaps, with effects that will continue after the pandemic.”

The shutdowns have also disrupted economies and labor markets, leading to significant job losses for women and an unequal division of labor at home. In Bhutan, the unemployment rate is at an all-time high of 5%. Women made up more than half of this number even in 2019. In Pakistan, more than a quarter of female workers have been fired or laid off from their jobs in various sectors.

The economic slowdown is also likely to force families into difficult situations. Child marriage remains prevalent, undermining girls’ education and future prospects. Gender-based violence has also risen – in Nepal, a 24-hour gender-based violence helpline received twice as many calls related to domestic violence during a single pandemic lockdown period.

It is important to note that many of the barriers to women’s economic participation are long-term and predate the pandemic. For the most part, employment in the formal sector is still not available to women. Women in South Asia are mainly engaged in subsistence farming, which is low-paid, unskilled farming and highly vulnerable to climate change. The majority of women do not have access to finance or even bank accounts. In Pakistan, for example, only 7% of women over the age of 15 have a bank account, compared to 35% of men. Even before the pandemic, barely 18% of businesses in South Asia were owned by women – the lowest rate among the world’s regions.

As South Asian countries rebuild from the pandemic, it will be necessary to ensure reforms that bridge these gender gaps, with effects that will continue after the pandemic. This means closing the gaps in the areas of health, education and social protection; removing restrictions that prevent women from getting more and better jobs; remove barriers to ownership; and empowering women’s voice and agency.

IDA’s continued support has been beneficial: supporting women’s employment, bridging digital divides, expanding child care, and increasing funding to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.

In Pakistan, the IDA-supported Benazir Income Support Program provided cash transfers to more than 5.8 million female heads of household, benefiting 30 million family members. In the Maldives, IDA has provided more than $27 million in income support to more than 22,000 workers who have lost their incomes due to the pandemic, especially vulnerable women working in the informal sector. In Bangladesh, 2.6 million female secondary school students have been offered stipends and tuition fees to ensure their education continues during the pandemic.

Next month, as IDA contributors gather in Tokyo for a historic early replenishment of a multibillion-dollar fund, gender and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 – and most crises – on women should be on top of minds. Through IDA, the World Bank stands ready to provide targeted, comprehensive, and readily available support that empowers women—and thus their societies and economies for generations to come.

The blog is part of a series on ways to ensure a resilient recovery from COVID-19 in the world’s poorest countries. For the latest information, follow @WBG_IDA and #IDAworks.

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