Female labor force participation in the Mashreq is exceptionally low, a problem likely to be exacerbated by the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This report calls for action in the following areas: stronger economic growth, effective policy action to close legal gaps, promotion of more...

Early childhood development (ECD) has become a high priority for the government of Kosovo in the last decade. Kosovo has a relatively well-established legal framework supporting early childhood development (ECD). Systems Approach for Better Education Results - Early Childhood Development...

This report presents an analysis of the Early Childhood Development (ECD) subsector, including programs and policies that affect young children in the Solomon Islands. This was a collaborative effort between UNICEF and World Bank Group, as it combines World Bank Group's SABER-ECD framework,...

This report presents an analysis of the Early Childhood Development (ECD) subsector, including programs and policies that affect young children in the Republic of Kiribati. This was a collaborative effort between UNICEF and the World Bank Group; it combines the World Bank Group's Systems...

Tajikistan's human capital, eroded by the country's civil war (1992-97), remains low today. According to analyses by the World Bank's Human Capital Project, a child born in Tajikistan today is expected to be 53 percent as productive as he or she could be with full health and complete education....

This report assesses the key constraints on the supply of (quantity and quality) and demand for early childhood development (ECD) services for pregnant women and children under the age of five in Armenia and puts forth recommendations on how to improve access to ECD services for poor and...

Only 56 percent of women ages 15-64 participate in the labor market, a slightly higher share than the Europe and Central Asia average, but 18 percentage points lower than the share among men in Armenia. The conflicting demand on women's time for care and work activities represents a fundamental...

Skill formation and human capital accumulation are a lifetime process, and quality early childhood education and development (ECED) is critical for ensuring that children get a head start in this process. Recognizing the importance of ECED, the sustainable development goals (SDGs) include an...

This guide was prepared by the Early Learning Partnership (ELP) team at the World Bank as a resource for policy makers and development professionals interested in improving access to high-quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) services. It brings together a selection of approaches to ECD that...

There is a growing body of evidence that demonstrates the benefits of investing in early childhood education (ECE) for human capital development and economic growth, which lays the foundation for cognitive development, socioemotional skills, and lifelong learning. Recognition of the need to...