Giving Compass' Take:

• The International Monetary Fund is addressing gender inequality through five main avenues: female labor force participation, financial inclusion, gender budgeting, legal barriers, and research/analysis. 

• IMF started this after first employing a gender analysis and policy advice in the assessment of various countries' economies. How can organizations around the globe look toward gender analysis or lens to better enhance equality on a smaller scale?

• Read the Giving Compass guide on gender equality issue funds for donors. 

Women count. They contribute to society in every way, including as a crucial part of their countries’ economic growth and prosperity.

Not long ago, few people would have expected the International Monetary Fund to be engaged in work on gender inequality. We began by incorporating gender analysis and policy advice in our annual assessments of countries’ economies. Now, with some 30 gender consultations completed, and a dozen more planned, we have made a dent. But there is still a long way to go.

Here are the five ways the IMF is helping countries assess and adapt their policies:

  1. Female labor force participation: Strengthening analysis and policy advice
  2. Financial inclusion: Data collection on access to and use of financial services
  3. Gender budgeting: Analyzing the fiscal and budgetary impact
  4. Legal barriers: Study and identify the impact of discriminatory laws
  5. Research and analysis: Conduct further research and publish new studies

Read the full article about gender inequality from the IMFBlog