Voice and Agency: Empowering women and girls for shared prosperity

Voice and Agency presents a plethora of information, guidance, and data on increasing women’s voice and agency. Agency is defined as the capacity to make decisions about one’s own life and act on them to achieve a desired outcome, free of violence, retribution, or fear. The World Bank Group argues that overcoming deprivations as a result of limited agency is central to efforts to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity.

This detailed report identifies promising entry points for public actions to promote women’s agency, such as: policies to change social norms and the law; programs that promote economic opportunities, social protection, and education; well-designed interventions and new approaches to implementation.

Areas for further research are also highlighted, as well as the associated costs to families, communities, and societies of limiting voice and agency for women and girls.