Gender equality makes for ‘shrewd economics’

GENDER equality is shrewd economics as well as a human right, the World Bank said yesterday, in a report that showed countries with better opportunities for women can boost productivity and development.

The most glaring disparity is the rate at which women die relative to men in developing countries, according to the World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development.

“Blocking women and girls from getting the skills and earnings to succeed in a globalised world is not only wrong, but also economically harmful,” said Justin Yifu Lin, the chief economist of the World Bank.