Women in Vanuatu : Analyzing
Challenges to Economic Participation

Women's contributions to poverty
reduction, economic growth, and private sector development
are increasingly recognized globally. A growing amount of
research demonstrates the link between women's
empowerment and societal well-being. Yet research also
indicates that woman's economic contributions continue
to lag behind their achievements in health and education,
and a variety of barriers still prevent women in many parts
of the world from fully contributing to the economy. Women
in Vanuatu: analyzing challenges to economic participation
is a step toward filling this gap, spurred by the growing
recognition in Vanuatu and the broader pacific region of the
need to better address gender inequalities. The publication
presents a comprehensive analysis of institutional, legal,
and regulatory barriers to women's full economic
participation in Vanuatu and proposes measures to address
these to ensure a level playing field for both women and
men. This work has been a collaborative effort between
Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and
the World Bank's Gender Group, in partnership with
International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Foreign
Investment Advisory Service (FIAS). A number of the
study's recommendations, which emerged from
consultations with representatives of the government, the
private sector, and civil society in Vanuatu, are being
addressed in World Bank Group regional programming going forward.