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Country Gender Assessment for Lao PDR : Reducing Vulnerability and Increasing OpportunitySince the introduction of economic reforms in the mid-1980s, strong growth and development have lifted thousands of poor women and men out of poverty, changing traditional ways of life in Lao PDR. In this environment of change, gender relations, within the family, village and society at large, are changing too. Gender equality is a core development objective. It is also smart economics. Greater gender equality can enhance productivity, improve development outcomes for the next generation, and make institutions more representative. As Lao PDR continues its development, the empowerment of women and girls will be a key to translating the country's economic growth and the energies of its young people into improved living standards that benefit women and men alike. This assessment synthesizes information and findings from recent literature and research on gender issues in Lao PDR for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank's (WB) country partnership strategies. The assessment is planned to contribute not only to the work of the ADB and the WB, but also towards the work of the government and development partners by bringing the latest information on gender issues to the forefront. Many of the gender issues reviewed in this report cut across multiple aspects of social and economic life. This assessment presents gender issues into three main dimensions of gender equality, endowments, economic opportunities and agency, using the framework developed by the World Bank's world development report on gender. In addition to these three areas, the report also analyzes gender issues related to emerging areas of development and growing risks.
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Transitioning from Status to Needs Based Assistance for Georgia IDPsThis report presents to the Government
 of Georgia (GoG) an analysis of the implications of
 potential policy changes to internally displaced person
 (IDP) assistance. A pressing question for policy makers in
 Georgia is the sustainability of status-based IDP assistance
 and what efforts can be made to tailor this assistance to
 favor the poor and vulnerable. Elimination of the IDP
 benefit has been subject to debate among policymakers. The
 World Bank has worked with the government to support
 improvements to the socioeconomic situation of IDPs in
 Georgia since 2008. The IDP Community Development Project,
 implemented between 2009-2012 improved service delivery,
 infrastructure, and livelihoods in over 40 IDP communities.
 Evidence on the socio-economic needs of IDPs has been
 collected by both government and donors; yet no
 comprehensive research has been conducted to critically
 compare their situation to that of the overall population.
 The objective of this research is to generate more evidence
 on the significance of the IDP benefit, and consequences
 that may be expected if this benefit is removed, in order to
 inform future policy decisions of the GoG in this regard.
 The report examines: (i) the policy and institutional
 framework and considerations that may support or obstruct a
 shift in IDP assistance; (ii) quantitative evidence on the
 socio-economic situation of IDPs as compared to non-IDPs in
 Georgia; and (iii) qualitative evidence on the significance
 of the IDP benefit, attitudes towards the benefit program,
 and vulnerabilities that may arise from its potential
 elimination. The paper concludes with policy recommendations
 for mitigating negative poverty and social impacts, should
 the government pursue a decision to remove the IDP benefit program.
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Escaping Stigma and Neglect : People
 with Disabilities in Sierra LeoneThe objective of this policy note on
 people with disabilities in Sierra Leone is to: (i) provide
 a diagnosis on the scale and nature of the problem; (ii)
 analyze current public policies in support of people with
 disabilities; (iii) review public and private programs; and
 (iv) propose some policy options to policy makers and
 development partners. This note contains five chapters, the
 first of which is this introduction. Chapter two summarizes
 the diagnosis of the scale and nature of the people with
 disabilities issue by examining the prevalence, types, and
 causes of disability and by discussing the socioeconomic
 profiles of people with disabilities, particularly their
 access to health, education, and social protection services.
 Chapter three includes an analysis of current public
 policies and of the legal and institutional framework for
 the protection and promotion of the rights of people with
 disabilities in Sierra Leone. Chapter four provides an
 overview of the current public and private programs to
 support people with disabilities, with a focus on their
 objectives, costs, limitations, and impact. Most of these
 programs have been in direct response to the conflict and
 have had an emergency nature, at times disregarding some of
 the more structural issues concerning people with
 disabilities and the needs of those people whose disability
 is only indirectly related to the conflict. The final
 chapter, chapter five, outlines possible options to reform
 the overall public/private approach to people with
 disabilities, and explores options for inclusive policies
 and programs to support people with disabilities including
 sector interventions to improve their standard of living.