Main Messages of the World Development Report 2012 xxiii o To increase women's voice in society, complementing these efforts in each of these policies include quotas on political rep- four priority areas and,more generally,in resentation,as has been done by many supporting evidence-based public action countries across the world,and mea- through better data,impact evaluation,and sures to foster and train future women learning. leaders and involve women more in In some areas,as with educational gender groups such as trade unions and pro- gaps,this will require adjusting current fessional associations. support,such as ensuring that the Educa- To limit the reproduction of gender in- tion for All Fast Track Initiative reaches equality across generations,it is impor- disadvantaged girls and boys,or sustain- tant to reach adolescents and young adults ing existing efforts,as with partnerships because this is the age when they make de- focused on adolescent girls. cisions that determine their acquisition of In other areas,it will demand new or skills,future health,economic prospects, additional action on multiple fronts- and aspirations.Interventions,therefore, some combination of more funding,co- need to focus on: ordinated efforts to foster innovation and o Building human and social capital learning,and more effective partnerships. as cash transfer programs have done o The funding should be directed partic- in Malawi,and improving informa- ularly to supporting the poorest coun- tion about returns to education and tries in reducing excess deaths of girls health education programs,which has and women (through investments in kept boys in school in the Dominican clean water and sanitation and mater- Republic; nal health services)and removing per- o Facilitating the transition from school sistent gender gaps in education. to work with job and life skills training o More support is needed especially to programs as in Uganda;and improve the availability of gender- o Shifting aspirations as with exposure to disaggregated data and to foster more role models such as woman political experimentation and systematic evalu- leaders in India who challenge prevail- ation of mechanisms to improve wom- ing social norms. en's access to markets,services,and justice. o The partnerships should extend be- THE ROLE OF THE yond governments and development INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY agencies to include the private sector, civil society organizations,and aca- While domestic policy action is crucial,the demic institutions in developing and international community can play a role in rich countries.Main Messages of the World Development Report 2012 xxiii complementing these efforts in each of these four priority areas and, more generally, in supporting evidence-based public action through better data, impact evaluation, and learning. • In some areas, as with educational gender gaps, this will require adjusting current support, such as ensuring that the Educa￾tion for All Fast Track Initiative reaches disadvantaged girls and boys, or sustain￾ing existing efforts, as with partnerships focused on adolescent girls. • In other areas, it will demand new or additional action on multiple fronts— some combination of more funding, co￾ordinated efforts to foster innovation and learning, and more effective partnerships. The funding should be directed partic￾ularly to supporting the poorest coun￾tries in reducing excess deaths of girls and women (through investments in clean water and sanitation and mater￾nal health services) and removing per￾sistent gender gaps in education. More support is needed especially to improve the availability of gender￾disaggregated data and to foster more experimentation and systematic evalu￾ation of mechanisms to improve wom￾en’s access to markets, services, and justice. The partnerships should extend be￾yond governments and development agencies to include the private sector, civil society organizations, and aca￾demic institutions in developing and rich countries. To increase women’s voice in society, policies include quotas on political rep￾resentation, as has been done by many countries across the world, and mea￾sures to foster and train future women leaders and involve women more in groups such as trade unions and pro￾fessional associations. • To limit the reproduction of gender in￾equality across generations, it is impor￾tant to reach adolescents and young adults because this is the age when they make de￾cisions that determine their acquisition of skills, future health, economic prospects, and aspirations. Interventions, therefore, need to focus on: Building human and social capital as cash transfer programs have done in Malawi, and improving informa￾tion about returns to education and health education programs, which has kept boys in school in the Dominican Republic; Facilitating the transition from school to work with job and life skills training programs as in Uganda; and Shifting aspirations as with exposure to role models such as woman political leaders in India who challenge prevail￾ing social norms. THE ROLE OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY While domestic policy action is crucial, the international community can play a role in