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What Are the Gaps in Health and Education That Women Face throughout Their Lives?
Get PDFIn recent years, significant progress has been made toward implementing policies and programs to support gender equity in Latin America and the Caribbean. However, large disparities continue to exist between men and women in educational and health outcomes. In the region, girls perform better than boys in soft skills and language at an early age and the school attendance gaps favor women at all levels. However, once in school, male students tend to perform better in mathematics in standardized tests compared to their female peers at age 15, with important implications for womens decisions on their future educational and career paths. At the same time, a large proportion of women in the region still lack access to reproductive technology. The maternal mortality rate remains high and tends to correlate with both low income levels and lack of prenatal care. Also, the rate of teen motherhood (1519 years old) is very high
COVID-19 Sets Back Progress Made on the Welfare of Women and Diverse Populations
No full textBy March 2020, COVID-19 was confirmed present in all Latin American and Caribbean countries. Not only did the pandemic weakened the regions economy, it exacerbated structural inequalities. Women, indigenous peoples, African descendants, persons with disabilities and the LGBTQ community were disproportionately affected by the pandemic, reflecting both the vulnerability of these groups and the fragility of the progress made in recent years toward improving their social welfare. This document highlights the main lessons learned from IADB studies on the impact of the pandemic on these populations
How Do Investment Promotion Policies Affect Sustainability?
Get PDFSustainability has become an imperative. Understanding the effects of countries policies thereon has therefore acquired vital importance. This is particularly the case with ubiquitous policies such as investment promotion. In this paper, we address this timely policy question from an environmental perspective. We examine whether and how investment promotion policies affect Latin American economies emissions of pollutants. To do so, we create and use a unique dataset that combines data on multinational firms location, investment promotion agencies (IPAs) assistance, and pollutant-specific emission intensities across countries and sectors over time. Our analysis yields three main findings. First, multinational firms operating in Latin America have higher emission intensities than those located in Europe and that this is primarily driven by their sectoral distribution. Second, IPA client portfolios are biased toward more polluting multinational firms and this is mainly associated with the type of sectors targeted by the IPAs. Third, while on average the effects of IPA assistance are similar across multinational firms with different pollution levels, these are stronger on more polluting ones within priority sectors. These findings highlight the need and relevance of data-based evidence to uncover potential tensions and balance different economic and sustainability goals
Quantifying the benefits of digitalizing and centralizing teacher applications and assignment
Get PDFTeachers are the most important and expensive input when it comes to improving the quality of education. In many Latin American countries, the decentralized way in which teachers are assigned is extremely costly and inefficient and lacks objectivity. This document advocates the implementation of digital centralized teacher assignment systems as more efficient, equitable, objective, and cost-effective. Using administrative data from Ecuador, this study estimates that the implementation of digital centralization could have an annual impact of over USD 17 million. This figure takes into account the direct implementation costs, the savings generated by the transition, and the learning gains achieved by improving the assignment of better-quality teachers and reducing the number of empty vacancies. These results confirm that this policy is not only efficient, but also cost-efficient
Citizens in the Spotlight: Exploring Perceptions of Infrastructure Services in Latin American Megacities
Get PDFIn the expanding megacities of Latin America and the Caribbean, providing essential services such as water, sanitation, energy, and transportation poses a significant challenge. This document presents insights derived from a 2023 survey conducted in five megacities, drawing comparisons with a 2013 survey to know the evolving perspectives of the residents. Influential factors, including the impact of the digital revolution, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and climate change, collectively shape residents\u27 perceptions of these fundamental services. The survey delves into various aspects, exploring citizen satisfaction with water, sanitation, energy, and transportation services, while also considering the affordability of these services. Additionally, the survey examines citizens\u27 priorities regarding their overall quality of life and assesses the discernible effects of climate change on their daily lives. This comprehensive exploration provides a lucid understanding of the intricate dynamics that define the changing quality of life in the megacities of the region
What Works to Improve Lives?: What Works to Improve Government Efficiency, Tax Compliance, and Financial Resilience
Get PDFThis publication is one of a series of five monographs produced by the Inter-American Development Bank to take stock of the lessons learned from impact evaluations of investments supported by the IDB Group for over a decade across a wide range of economic and social development sectors. In light of increasing demand in recent years for higher-quality public services in Latin America and the Caribbean, this monograph examines programs and policies that can help governments improve how they fund and provide these services to their people. Specifically, it reviews the evidence on ways to improve government efficiency, public spending, taxation, and financial resilience. Key lessons on “what works” include using information and communication technology to improve government processes and reduce costs, increasing tax compliance through architectural or messaging “nudges,” and identifying innovative ways to encourage citizens to save
An Exchange Rate Policy Rule
Get PDFThis paper introduces a novel monetary policy framework where the exchange rate becomes the central instrument. Using Singapore as a case study, it explores the Monetary Authority\u27s adoption of the exchange rate as the primary tool since 1981, diverging from conventional approaches centered on interest rates or monetary aggregates. The estimated exchange rate reaction function aligns well with actual deviations, supporting the hypothesis that Singapore\u27s forward-looking policy rule effectively responds to inflation and output volatility, especially during economic crises. This framework offers a promising alternative for countries with open economies and challenges in implementing traditional interest rate instruments
Extended Country Program Evaluation Costa Rica 2015-2022
Get PDFThis document presents the evaluation conducted by the Office of Evaluation and Oversight (OVE) of the Country Program of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDBG) with Costa Rica from 2015 to 2022, spanning two strategic planning periods. This marks the sixth independent evaluation conducted by OVE of the IDB Group\u27s program in Costa Rica. Previous evaluations covered the periods 1990-2001, 2002-2006; 2006-2010, 2011-2014, and 2015-2018. This evaluation examines the Bank\u27s relationship with Costa Rica over an extended period. As outlined in the OVE Country Products Protocol, Extended Country Program Evaluations (XCPE), such as this one, are independent assessments of the last two country strategies and the corresponding Country Program to evaluate their relevance, effectiveness, and sustainability. XCPEs focus on both accountability and learning, aiming to provide assessments to the Board of Executive Directors and the Management of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and IDB Invest of the IDB Group\u27s performance in the country and its Country Program. They also aim to share lessons learned to inform the Bank\u27s future support, particularly in the context of the upcoming Country Strategy. XCPEs make recommendations expected to enhance the subsequent Country Strategy and Country Program. The Country Program evaluation examines the design, implementation, and outcomes of operations approved under the Country Program with Costa Rica between 2015 and 2022, considering the national context and relevant strategic documents. To conduct this evaluation, OVE analyzed country data, studied project documents, and conducted interviews (both virtually and in person) with country authorities, project executing units, the private sector, representatives from other development agencies, and IDB Group staff at the Country Office and Headquarters. Additionally, OVE conducted a mission to the country in June 2023. OVE appreciates the participation and collaboration of these counterparts, which enabled a rich exchange of information and reasonable access to verify the program\u27s outcomes
FS 3.5: Water Footprint Estimation in Latin America
Get PDFThis fact sheet summarizes a recent technical note entitled "Water Footprint Estimation in Latin America", which analyzes the water footprint of Brazil, Colombia, and Costa Rica. The fact sheet gives a broad overview of the methodology used in the analysis and describes trends in sectoral water consumption in the three countries between 2013 and 2017, highlighting disparities in water consumption across economies. In the face of climate change, it is important that more countries disclose environmental-economic accounting data to facilitate such analyses across the Latin America and the Caribbean. The fact sheet also provides a link to the technical note
New Horizons for Productive Transformation in the Andean Region
Get PDFDeveloped and emerging economies, as well as the international context within which they interact, have faced and are facing events, such as climate change, digitalization, and the COVID-19 pandemic, that are structurally transforming their production processes. The Andean countries are no exception and there is an urgent need for their governments to make policy decisions to address this situation. If steps are not taken, there will be serious consequences for the incomes of those countries. Many sectors have been affected and also benefited from the pandemic. It is essential to address the challenges in the agricultural sector, especially those that contribute to its low productivity. It should be noted that, despite the challenging environment, this sector has grown. The repositioning of global value chains highlights untapped opportunities in the Andean region. In addition, the services sector, the main employer in the Andean economies, has been strongly impacted by the pandemic. On the other hand, the extractive sector was grappling with major challenges, even before this transformation process. This is happening in a context where, despite some growth, digitalization is still lagging behind. Moreover, the region has been characterized by high levels of inequality, which represent an additional challenge in a transition that will have considerable social impacts. The scenario described above offers opportunities for the region but requires a major public policy coordination effort. The region faces the task of diversifying and this publication presents recommendations in this regard. In reviewing the sectors mentioned above, it is essential to address the challenges of the agricultural sector, particularly those related to its low productivity. There are opportunities to integrate into global value chains; the Andean countries can make better use of existing trade agreements, seeking to reduce trade costs. It is worth mentioning that the region has room to take advantage of the transformations taking place in the services sector. Although there are significant challenges for the extractive industries sector, there are also opportunities to use this sector as a lever for productive transformation. To achieve this, it is necessary to promote business digitalization and make it easier for companies to decide which digital technologies to implement and how to do so. Finally, any productive transformation strategy must generate opportunities for the entire population. Fostering more-diverse and inclusive sectors of the economy is not only more equitable and fair, but also more profitable