Haiti's Untapped Potential: An Assessment of the Barriers to Gender Equality
Summary — This World Bank report analyzes gender disparities across education, health, economic opportunities, and political representation in Haiti. It identifies key barriers to gender equality and proposes policy recommendations to unlock women's potential.
Key Findings
- Gender gaps persist in labor force participation, with women having lower participation rates than men across all age groups.
- Women face significant barriers in accessing productive resources including property ownership, digital access, and financial services.
- Political representation remains highly unequal, with women underrepresented in parliament, judiciary, and ministerial positions.
- Intimate partner violence affects a substantial portion of women, with rates varying by department and education level.
- Early marriage and adolescent pregnancy limit women's educational and economic opportunities.
Full Description
This comprehensive World Bank assessment examines gender inequalities across multiple dimensions in Haiti, analyzing data from various surveys and sources. The report is structured around four main areas: education, health, economic opportunities, and voice/agency/representation. It reveals that while Haiti has made progress in some areas like primary education enrollment, significant gaps persist in labor force participation, political representation, and access to productive resources. The analysis includes thematic deep dives into labor market inequality, legal frameworks and social norms, risky behaviors, and disaster risk management. The report demonstrates how gender disparities are interconnected and reinforcing, with early marriage, adolescent pregnancy, and limited decision-making power constraining women's opportunities. It concludes with policy recommendations across six priority areas: women's healthcare, education, labor market access, harmful social norms, gender-based violence prevention, and disaster risk management.