Gender Justice

The report finds that while most International Financial Institutions (IFIs) commit to gender equality, their actual policies are often weak, understaffed, and poorly resourced. The African Development Bank and Asian Development Bank are identified as having the most receptive accountability mechanisms for gender-related complaints, whereas the IMF, EIB, and EBRD are noted for significant gaps in both policy and redress options.

• International Financial Institutions (IFIs) frequently ignore gender inequality in their projects, which can lead to increased poverty, prostitution, and HIV/AIDS, particularly among women and girls.
• Gender expertise within IFIs is critically low, with gender specialists making up less than 1 percent of staff across all reviewed institutions, averaging 0.3 percent.
• The African Development Bank (AfDB) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) are considered the most receptive to gender-based complaints due to strong gender policies and accountability mechanisms that recognize how economic reforms can exacerbate inequality.
• The World Bank's gender policy is limited because it explicitly excludes policy-based loans, which often mandate socioeconomically harmful reforms like the privatization of healthcare, education, and water.
• The International Monetary Fund (IMF), European Investment Bank (EIB), and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) provide inadequate opportunities for remedying gender discrimination due to a lack of strong gender policies and limited accountability mechanisms.
• The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) lack formal gender policies, although the IFC's Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman may provide relief because it does not require complaints to be based on a specific policy violation.
• The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is criticized for having a weak and outdated 1987 policy on women and an accountability mechanism lacking in resources, timeliness, and transparency.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). Gender Justice. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/GenderJustice_Jun07.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Gender Justice. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/GenderJustice_Jun07.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Gender Justice |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/GenderJustice_Jun07.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndgender, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Gender Justice}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/GenderJustice_Jun07.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }