Reducing gender inequality makes economic sense apart from being the right thing to do. Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls is the fifth sustainable development goal and is a top priority for governments. Countries can achieve this goal if they take appropriate steps.

This note is part of a series that aims to measure the economic cost of gender inequality globally and regionally by examining the impacts of gender inequality in a wide range of areas and the costs associated with those impacts.

This note was prepared by a team at the World Bank as part of a work program funded by the Canadian Government, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, and the Global Partnership for Education.