Women and girls are more educated and skilled than ever but still face barriers that keep them from reaching their full economic potential. On International Women’s Day 2026 we celebrate the potential of women and girls to transform our economies and societies. When women can participate fully and equally in the economy, everyone benefits.
International Women's Day 2026
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Closing the financing gap for women can boost jobs and growthBlog
Closing the financing gap for women can boost jobs and growth
Financial services can empower women, helping them to start and grow businesses, manage household finances, and invest in their futures. Access to credit, savings, insurance, and efficient payments can help women-led ...
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Five ways evidence is unlocking women’s economic participationBlog
Five ways evidence is unlocking women’s economic participation
The newly released Umbrella Facility for Gender Equality 2025 Annual Report highlights how investing in evidence has informed country policies and shaped WBG operations and investments. Here are five ways evidence ...
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Women's Economic Power in ActionImmersive Story
Women's Economic Power in Action
Creating jobs and expanding opportunity for women across East Asia and Pacific
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How a World Bank Program is Turning Creativity into Jobs for Women in Sierra ...Story
How a World Bank Program is Turning Creativity into Jobs for Women in Sierra ...
By pairing a Creative Economy Diagnostic with a women-focused accelerator, Sierra Leone’s CreatiFi program is helping translate creative talent into an economic development catalyst.
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Creating Pathways for Women’s Empowerment and Employment in SomaliaStory
Creating Pathways for Women’s Empowerment and Employment in Somalia
The World Bank–supported Rajo Kaaba ("Building Hope") Program is providing scholarships for Somali women and girls for higher education in nursing, midwifery, and education across 25 universities. It is working to equip ...
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Women Who Never Give Up: Making Effort Pay Off
StoryWomen Who Never Give Up: Making Effort Pay Off
Rural and Indigenous women in Guatemala are strengthening livelihoods through agriculture while protecting forests and ecosystems vital to their communities, demonstrating that economic empowerment and conservation can ...
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Mend the Gap, Unleash Potential: Addressing Barriers to Women's Economic ...Publication
Mend the Gap, Unleash Potential: Addressing Barriers to Women's Economic ...
A new World Bank Group report finds that closing the labor force gap between men and women could raise GDP per capita by up to 14% across Europe and Central Asia.
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Boosting Women’s Economic Power in Eastern and Southern AfricaWORLD BANK/RASHID HAMIS KINDAMBA
Boosting Women’s Economic Power in Eastern and Southern Africa
These stories from Eastern and Southern Africa show that when women work, communities prosper and economies grow.
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India - International Women's Day 2026
India - International Women's Day 2026
Stories of #HumWomaniya: Women who lead from the front
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From sleeping on a papyrus mat to building a production facility for working ...Blog
From sleeping on a papyrus mat to building a production facility for working ...
Jolly Okot, a former war abductee from Northern Uganda, leads a growing network of women entrepreneurs through WEND Africa. With backing from the World Bank–funded GROW Project, her production facility will expand to ...
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From refugee to real estate visionary: Nyager Guet’s journey in South SudanBlog
From refugee to real estate visionary: Nyager Guet’s journey in South Sudan
A former South Sudanese refugee and lawyer who founded Rolling Acres Real Estate Ltd to provide affordable housing in South Sudan. The World Bank-funded South Sudan Women's Social and Economic Empowerment Project (...
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Empowering Women Entrepreneurs Living with Disabilities in the Democratic ...Story
Empowering Women Entrepreneurs Living with Disabilities in the Democratic ...
The TRANSFORME Project in the DRC is expanding inclusive economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs, including those living with disabilities. With the World Bank’s support, over 23,500 women completed ...
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Expanding Access to Skills: Supporting Young Women Through Ethiopia’s TVET ...Story
Expanding Access to Skills: Supporting Young Women Through Ethiopia’s TVET ...
Ethiopia's Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) reforms are empowering women with practical, market-relevant skills—aligning training programs with the demands of the labor market, the reforms are ...
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Women’s Financial Empowerment at the Heart of a Developed IndiaBlog
Women’s Financial Empowerment at the Heart of a Developed India
As India charts its course toward Viksit Bharat 2047, it will need a financial system that not only includes women but also strengthens their economic power by giving them control over money, decisions, and assets at ...
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Breaking Barriers: How Financial Inclusion Is Unlocking the Potential of Women ...
Breaking Barriers: How Financial Inclusion Is Unlocking the Potential of Women ...
By offering tailored loan products and financial services, banks in Uzbekistan are empowering women entrepreneurs to expand their businesses.
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Mexico: Advancing Women's Financial Inclusion
Mexico: Advancing Women's Financial Inclusion
Addressing the financial access gap for women entrepreneurs could improve Mexico’s economic development and competitiveness.
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Empowering Caribbean women: The key to unleashing economic potential
Empowering Caribbean women: The key to unleashing economic potential
Caribbean countries have come a long way in granting women equal economic opportunities, thanks to groundbreaking reforms but there are still many challenges to overcome.
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Female Economic Empowerment in the Fields of Honduras
Female Economic Empowerment in the Fields of Honduras
In southern Honduras, hundreds of rural women have turned crops into a source of personal income, resilience, and opportunity for their families.
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Women, Business and the LawReport
Women, Business and the Law
How legal and policy frameworks shape women’s economic opportunities in 190 economies and how removing barriers can boost jobs, productivity, and inclusive growth.Explore
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Country Gender Profiles for Latin America and the Caribbean
Country Gender Profiles for Latin America and the Caribbean
Country-specific insights for monitoring and benchmarking gender equality across 11 priority areasDownload