How to Operationalize Gender Issues in Country Work

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Reducing gender gaps can have important economic benefits.
Gender gaps remain significant on a global scale, both with respect to opportunities and outcomes.
Gender-based legal restrictions, and barriers in access to education, healthcare, and financial services, prevent women from fully participating in the economy.
Labor force participation rates are lower among women than men.
Gender equality can boost economic productivity and growth, enhance economic resilience, and reduce income inequality.

Staff have contributed to the economic literature through country-level and cross-country analytical studies, confirming the macro-criticality of gender issues in a broad set of circumstances.
Gender issues are increasingly part of capacity development through technical assistance and training.
Two waves of gender pilots have been completed—encompassing both surveillance and Fund-supported programs and covering all regions of the world and all levels of income—and a third wave is under way.

Coverage of gender issues in staff reports should be selective and calibrated to the degree of macroeconomic significance.
All teams should consider whether gender issues are relevant, taking into account also the authorities’ priorities.
There should be no presumption that gender issues will be covered everywhere or every year; in-depth coverage is anticipated in only a limited number of cases any year.
Staff should:
- Point to macroeconomic significance where it exists.
- Focus analysis on aspects with economic implications.
- Limit specific policy advice to areas where there is Fund expertise.
Where relevant, country teams should leverage external expertise.

The note provides an overview of good practices and resources available to staff.
The note is consistent with the 2015 Guidance Note for Surveillance Under Article IV Consultations and draws also on the 2013 Guidance Note on Jobs and Growth Issues in Surveillance and Program Work.
The note provides examples of good practice for coverage of gender issues in country reports and lays out resources available to country teams, including existing analytical work and availability of data and tools.

How to Operationalize Gender Issues in Country Work — June 13, 2018