Observing Highlights:
“Growing Innovation:”
InfoDev's latest Annual Report references how, thanks to growing donor support, it was able to take a more holistic approach for the program, focusing on innovation, technology and entrepreneurship. The program maintained its strong ties with its grassroots network of entrepreneurs and business incubators. That network has supported 400 incubators in 107 countries, has catalyzed 25,000 firms, and has helped to create 250,000 jobs.
To read more please Click Here
The World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index
The WJP Rule of Law Index is an innovative quantitative assessment tool designed to offer a comprehensive picture of the extent to which countries adhere to the rule of law, not in theory, but in practice. This report is the second in an annual series.
To read more please Click Here
Women, Business and the Law 2012
Women, Business and he Law, objectively highlighting differentiations of the basis of gender in 141 economies around the world, covering six areas: accessing institutions, using property, getting a job, providing incentives to work, building credit and going to court. Women, Business and the Law describes regional trends and shows how economies are changing across these six areas, tracking governments' actions to expand economic opportunies for women.
To read more please Click Here
“Policies for Growth”
Open for registration February 1 - 29, 2012
Apply by January 11, 2012
The course will provide a detailed explanation of economic policies' role in growth and poverty reduction in developing countries. Specifically, after describing basic economic relationships - and after confirming that growth is the most critical factor in alleviating poverty - the course turns to individual policy areas. These include the various roles of government, which include maintaining an environment conducive to the effective operation of a market economy and conducting fiscal policy. Policies governing money supply, exchange rates and the financial sector are also covered.
After describing the experience over the past several decades with development aid, which aims to place poor countries on a path to sustainable long-run growth, the course turns to a discussion of external debt and how it became unsustainable in many low-income countries, crippling their growth potential and keeping millions in poverty. The remainder of the course examines problems that can keep the poor from moving out of poverty.
To read more please Click Here
Fifth Roundtable of the Persian Gender Network - Dec 8-9
In Partnership with University of London, School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS)
Sponsored by: The World Bank & Center for Arab Women Training and Research
Holiday Inn – Bloomsbury (Coram Street, London, WC1N 1HT)
To view the PGN program please Click Here.
To view the International Iranian Economic Association (IIEA)program, please Click Here.
An interview with Shirin Ebadi
Women Forum's Global Meeting 2011, presented an intreview with Iranian Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi. To watch this interview please Click Here.
The Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI)
SIGI is a new composite measure of gender equality, based on the OECD’s Gender, Institutions and Development Database. It complements and improves existing measures in several ways. While conventional indicators of gender equality capture inequality outcomes, the SIGI focuses on the root causes behind these inequalities. The Social Institutions and Gender Index has been constructed by the OECD Development Centre, in collaboration with a research team from G?ttingen University. The index is based on 124 detailed country notes which provided the basis of the social institutions variables that are presented in five categories: family codes, civil liberties, physical integrity, son preference, and ownership rights. The database is searchable by any or all of these categories, as well as by country or region. Read More
PGN Roundtable at SOAS
As before, we will hold this event in parallel with the conference of the International Iranian Economic Association, which will present some of the latest economic policy thinking and research. This partnership allows us to exchange views and interact with our economic counterparts and build a common understanding across disciplines.
The program of the Roundtable is under development. PGN had a call for proposals in early 2011. A committee of evaluators selected six of the papers across disciplines, that were innovative and insightful. In addition to the selected papers, the program will include leading thought leaders and opinion leaders on the topic of gender and development in Persian speaking countries.
We welcome you to participate in the program. Due to budget constraints PGN cannot accommodate everyone who has so far signed up from outside of London. We thank you for your keen interest and apologize if PGN cannot fund all of you to participate, but hope that you can join if you are in the London area. Above all, we hope that we all will have some memorable moments together to push forward on an agenda of common interest. PGN will keep you posted about the final program.
Women, Business, and the Law
IFC published Women, Business and the Law -- a cross country report on the legal impediments facing women starting their businesses. Read More
Gender & Development
World Bank dedicates its flagship World Development Report for the first time to Gender and Development -- "Women are the next emerging market," says Bob Zoellick, World Bank President. Read More
Think Equal!
A World Bank’s Open forum - Sep 20-2, 2011.
Inequality is a lifelong experience for girls and women.
Do men and women have equal rights?
How do we get to equal?
We invite PGN community to participate in this interesting forum and encourage our members to express their opinions.
Will people power empower women?
Submitted by Nadereh Chamlou on March 20, 2011.The democratic movements sprouting all over the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are arousing high optimism for greater voice and inclusiveness. Democracies are about sharing power, and about reflecting the will of the people through peaceful processes at the ballot box. But, will the will of the people and people power usher in greater gender equality and women’s empowerment, particularly as women fought shoulder to shoulder with men for change?
Access to Data
Access to cross country data is often the most difficult barrier for researchers and experts to carry out evidence based research. The World Justice Forum through its World Justice Project has developed an index of law on the basis of data connected across 66 countries, including Iran, involving experts and men and women it interviewed. This is the third year the index has been compiled and published. It is available at: the site below:
http://worldjusticeproject.
Women, Peace and Security: from Resolution to Action
- Ten Years of Security Council Resolution 1325 -
DCAF is pleased to announce the release of “Women, Peace and Security: from Resolution to Action - Ten Years of Security Council Resolution 1325”. This publication summarizes the proceedings of the seminar of the same title, held in Geneva on 15 September 2010. Convened jointly by the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and DCAF, the seminar is part of an ongoing series of joint events hosted by DCAF and UNOG since 2003, addressing various aspects of security governance.
The publication includes the following:
- Foreword, by Mr. Sergei A. Ordzhonikidze, Director‐General, UNOG; Ambassador Theodor H. Winkler, Director, DCAF; Ambassador Alex Van Meeuwen, Permanent Representative of Belgium to the United Nations Office and other Specialized Institutions in Geneva;
- Opening keynote address, by Ms. Micheline Calmy‐Rey, Federal Councillor and Head of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
- Ten years of Resolution 1325: Accomplishments, gaps, lessons learned and the way forward, including the following panelists:
- Ambassador Helga Hernes (Moderator)
- Dr. Soccoh Kabia, Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Sierra Leone
- Lieutenant General (retired) Jasbir Singh Lidder, United Nations Deputy Special Representative for the Sudan
- Ms. Bineta Diop, Executive Director, Femmes Africa Solidarité
- Ms. Véronique Arnault, Director of Multilateral Relations and Human Rights, Directorate‐General for External Relations, European Commission
- The way ahead: a remark from the October 2010 Presidency of the Security Council, by Maurice Peter Kagimu Kiwanuka, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Uganda to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva
- Closing keynote address, by Navanethem Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
The publication can be downloaded in English at: http://www.dcaf.ch/Publications/Publication-Detail?lng=en&id=130768
Happy Nowruz:
Call for Papers for a Conference on:
Women’s empowerment in Persian speaking countries and communities: Contribution of education, employment and entrepreneurship
Organized by:
Persian and Persianate Gender Network (PGN) and the Center for Arab Women Training and Research (CAWTAR) in partnership with the Iranian International Economic Association.
Date:
September 9-11, 2011
Location:
School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London University, Thornhaugh Street, London WC1H 0XG
Please submit your abstract to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by April 30, 2011. Read More
Women in Power and Decision Making
UNIFEM along with other UN partners and WomenWatch, a project of the inter-agency Network on Women and Gender Equality, organized an online discussion to discuss women in power and decision making to lead up to the 54th Commission on the Status of Women. This document summarizes the response of the online discussion. Read More
Happy International Women's Day
Women’s Economic Opportunity - A New Pilot
To gain a better understanding of the factors that influence women’s economic opportunity—and how countries have addressed them—the Economist Intelligence Unit constructed a pilot Women’s Economic Opportunity Index. The goal of this Index is to spur debate and research on the factors that affect women’s ability to access jobs and business opportunities. It is also intended to prompt improvements in policy and programmes that will encourage women’s participation in the workplace and thus create more productive economies overall. Working closely with a panel of experts and advisers, determinants of women’s economic opportunity in the formal sector were identified, from educational attainment to legal and regulatory restrictions. Gender-related data were collected and analyzed from a wide range of trusted international sources. Read More ...
Global Employment Trends 2011: The challenge of a jobs recovery
The annual Global Employment Trends (GET) report provides the latest global and regional estimates of employment and unemployment, employment by sector, vulnerable employment, labour productivity and working poverty, while also analysing country-level issues and trends in the labour market. Taking into account macroeconomic trends and forecasts, the GET includes a short-term outlook for labour markets around the world. Read More ...
Happy New Year Happy New Year
When the mid-night bell rings tonight...
Let it signify rebirth and new,
Let it signify light, peace and harmony,
Let it signify positive thoughts, words and deeds,
Let it signify good health and good fortune,
Let it signify happiness and success.
Wishing everyone a very...very...very prosperous 2011!
Save the Date
Please save the date for the next PGN Roundtable to be held on Friday 9 - Sunday 11 September 2011at SOAS, London, in conjunction with the IIEA conference. Details will be announced shortly.
The World's Women 2010: Trends and Statistics
This report is produced by the United Nations every five years, as called for in the Beijing Platform for Action.
It presents statistics and analysis on the status of women and men in the world, highlighting the current situation and changes over time. Analyses are based mainly on statistics from international and national statistical agencies. The report covers several broad policy areas – population and and families, health, education, work, power and decision-making, violence against women, environment and poverty. Read more ...
Sky is not Limited - PGN Netherlands Roundtable
Watch a video report of the Persianate-societies Gender Network (PGN) Roundtable held at Nyenrode Business University in Breukelen, the Netherlands. Jointly hosted by the Tunis-based Center of Arab Women for Training and Research (CAWTAR), The World Bank, and International Department of Nyenrode Business University, the Roundtable explored the power and potential of female entrepreneurship and leadership. Watch the Video ...
Brilliant Collaboration
Persian Gender Network (PGN) joined forces with Gender Economic Research and Policy Analysis (GEPRA), and Arabic Network for Gender and Development (ANGED) to present the Middle East Gender and Economic Symposium II: Translating Research into Action.
Co-sponsored by the World Bank, the Harris School, and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, the conference was held at the University of Chicago on October 16-19.
Understanding gender issues in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region requires a range of somewhat unconventional perspectives, said Colm O’Muircheartaigh, the dean of the Harris School, to begin the conference. In this spirit, the opening panel featured Nobel laureates, leading scholars, and practitioners from a range of disciplines to discuss their work and how it might apply to MENA countries. To learn more please follow these links:
Steering and Advisory Committee Members
PGN Netherlands Roundtable - June 25-27 2010
The Power of Female EntrepreneurshipJune 25-27, 2010 Proceedings. Thirty scholars, experts, and practitioners travelled from across Europe to attend the first European Roundtable of the Persian-speaking and Persianate-societies Gender Network (PGN), held at Nyenrode Business University in Breukelen, the Netherlands. Jointly hosted by the Tunis-based Center of Arab Women for Training and Research (CAWTAR), The World Bank, and International Department of Nyenrode Business University, the Roundtable explored the power and potential of female entrepreneurship and leadership. Read More ...
Harvard Business Review -- "The Female Economy"
As a market, women represent a bigger opportunity than China and India combined. So why are companies doing such a poor job of serving them? Read More...
Roundtable of Experts: Annotated Bibliography"
The World Bank Economy of Care Research. Read more...
Harvard Business Review -
"The Battle for Female Talent in Emerging Markets"
To attract and retain well-educated, highly ambitious women in developing economies, companies must understand the societal challenges those women face. Read more...
By: The Chatham House, Vivid Economics
Gender equality is a critical component of societal progress. It reflects basic rights that do not need any economic justification. This is reflected in the explicit inclusion of gender-related development objectives in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Yet it is also the case that gender equality has broad and positive implications for economic and social development. Read More...
PGN Roundtable
The Sky is NOT the Limit: The Power of Female Entrepreneurship
June 25-27, 2010
Proceedings
Thirty scholars, experts, and practitioners travelled from across Europe to attend the first European Roundtable of the Persian-speaking and Persianate-societies Gender Network (PGN), held at Nyenrode Business University in Breukelen, the Netherlands. Jointly hosted by the Tunis-based Center of Arab Women for Training and Research (CAWTAR), The World Bank, and International Department of Nyenrode Business University, the Roundtable explored the power and potential of female entrepreneurship and leadership.
The Gender Gap
By: Graciela Chichilnisky
The author explains the “gender gap” as a Nash equilibrium of a game with incomplete information about women’s work at home and in the marketplace. Expectations about women’s lower wages leads to the overutilization of women in the household, and this, in turn, leads to lower productivity and lower wages for women in the marketplace. The situation is rational but generally Pareto inferior.With logistic learning by doing, at high levels of skill there is a Pareto-superior equilibrium, where men and women share efforts equally at home and receive the same pay in the marketplace, firms enhance their profits, and there is more welfare at home. Inequity at home breeds inequity in the marketplace and, reciprocally, inequity in the marketplace leads to inequity at home, causing a persistent gender gap. Appropriate contracts may be needed to implement the superior solution, since generally governments do not intervene in family matters. Read More...
Gender and Green Governance
By: Bina Agarwal
Much has been written on gender inequality and how it affects fertility and mortality outcomes as well as economic outcomes. What is not well understood is the role of gender inequality, embedded in the behavior of the family, the market, and society, in mediating the impact of demographic processes on economic outcomes. This article reviews the empirical evidence on the possible economic impacts of gender inequalities that work by exacerbating demographic stresses associated with different demographic scenarios and reducing the prospects of gains when demographic conditions improve. It defines four demographic scenarios and discusses which public policies are more effective in each scenario in reducing the constraints that gender inequality imposes on poverty reduction. Read More ...
Gender, Poverty and Demography: An Overview
By: Mayra Buvinic, Monica Das Gupta, and Ursula Casabonne
Much has been written on gender inequality and how it affects fertility and mortality outcomes as well as economic outcomes. What is not well understood is the role of gender inequality, embedded in the behavior of the family, the market, and society, in mediating the impact of demographic processes on economic outcomes. This article reviews the empirical evidence on the possible economic impacts of gender inequalities that work by exacerbating demographic stresses associated with different demographic scenarios and reducing the prospects of gains when demographic conditions improve. It defines four demographic scenarios and discusses which public policies are more effective in each scenario in reducing the constraints that gender inequality imposes on poverty reduction Read More ...
نادره دربارهی روند شکلگیری این شبکه میگوید:
شبکهی توانمندسازی اقتصادی زنان فارسیزبان در سال ۲۰۰۴ شکل گرفت. دلیل شکلگیری چنین شبکهای این بود که بانک جهانی در سال ۲۰۰۲ یک شبکه برای زنان عربزبان تأسیس کرده بود که مرکز آن در تونس قرار داشت. کار این شبکه به خوبی پیش میرفت، ولی به دلایل گوناگون، ایران نمیتوانست وارد آن بشود.
Read More ... این بود که تصمیم گرفتیم شبکهای مانند شبکهی زنان عربزبان برای زنان فارسیزبان ایجاد کنیم
PGN Harvard Roundtable - November 2009
Seventy five participants from 17 countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) gathered Nov. 17-20 at Harvard Kennedy School for a symposium dedicated to strengthening advocacy for gender equality in public policy in the MENA region.
The event, titled MENA Gender and Economics Symposium: Translating Research into Action, was co-sponsored by the Kennedy School's Middle East Initiative (MEI), the Center for Arab Women Training and Research (CAWTAR), and the World Bank. Read More ...
Iranian Entrepreneurs
The Women's Council director in the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines (TCCIM) stated that "an agreement had been signed between an Iranian businesswoman and the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). To read more please click here. Read more ...
Beijing at 15 - Online Discussion
Online Discussion on Women and the Economy that took place on November 18th to December 16th 2009 was moderated by the World Bank. Read more ...
The Global Gender Gap Report 2009
The Global Gender Gap Report, which was first published in 2006, states "two thirds of the 115 countries surveyed have posted gains in overall index scores. This indicates that the world in general has made progress towards equality between men and women, although there are countries that continue to lose ground." Read more ...
Gender Gap in Mathematics
In a report for the National Bureau for Economic Research, Roland G. Fryer, Jr, and Steven D. Levitt wrote: "We document and analyze the emergence of a substantial gender gap in mathematics in the early years of schooling. Moving to cross-country comparisons, we find that earlier results linking the gender gap in math to measures of gender equality are sensitive to the inclusion of Muslim countries, where in spite of women's low status, there is little or no gender gap in math." Read more ...
It is a great pleasure to announce the upcoming PGN Roundtable at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London in early December. This Roundtable was originally scheduled for September 9-10. We now will hold it on December 8-9, 2011. Our sincere gratitude to SOAS for this warm invitation. (SIGI) is a new composite measure of gender equality, based on the OECD’s Gender, Institutions and Development Database. It complements and improves existing measures in several ways. While conventional indicators of gender equality capture inequality outcomes, the SIGI focuses on the root causes behind these inequalities. The Social Institutions and Gender Index has been constructed by the OECD Development Centre, in collaboration with a research team from G?ttingen University. The index is based on 124 detailed country notes which provided the basis of the social institutions variables that are presented in five categories: family codes, civil liberties, physical integrity, son preference, and ownership rights. The database is searchable by any or all of these categories, as well as by country or region. Read More.