IFC will spearhead the India Gender Collaborative by bringing together the World Bank, the International Labor Organization, and UN Women to highlight how integrating more women into business operations can increase companies' profitability and contribute to shared prosperity.
IFC's flagship program will equip businesses to close gender gaps while contributing to women's earnings, productivity, and growth. It will also train management teams across companies to create a supportive work environment, especially for employees with children and senior care responsibilities, increasing women's participation in the green economy and supporting India's net zero goals.
Advancing women's equality in the Asia Pacific countries could add $4.5 trillion to their collective GDP annually in 2025. India alone has the potential to boost its GDP by 18 percent over business-as-usual growth—an additional $770 billion—by fostering gender equality at work.
IFC works to reduce gaps between men and women in the private sector, enabling companies and economies to improve their performance. Focus areas for IFC include boosting the number of women in leadership, expanding family-friendly policies such as childcare, and addressing gender-based violence. IFC also helps its clients measure and communicate the business case for investing in women's employment.