US NGO Gender Action has published three papers illustrating the gulf between the IFIs' stated commitment to gender equality and the actual gender dimension of their investments.
Health
Finance
News
Fund loosens the aid noose … but just a little
After reviews of its engagement with low-income members the IMF is in the process of redesigning its programmes, but its recent changes on dealing with aid inflows have not satisfied critics of the Fund's inflexibility in allowing the scaling up of social spending.
Social services
News
Bank and Fund undermining health, education spending
A high powered working group examining the IMF and health spending found that the Fund has unduly constrained counties’ policy choices, while other recent reports accuse the World Bank and the IMF of undermining quality education. Meanwhile, the Bank’s private sector arm has stepped up its support for private schooling in Africa.
Social services
Commentary
Defending sexual and reproductive health rights
Grace Karanja of the AMANITARE secretariat in Kenya comments on the battle to defend sexual and reproductive health rights in the Bank's new health, population and nutrition strategy.
Accountability
News
Wolfowitz saga turns ugly
The fourth week of the drama unfolding at the World Bank over president Paul Wolfowitz’s promotion of partner Shaha Riza has raised more question marks over Wolfowitz’s judgment during his time at the Bank, further calls for his resignation, and widespread recognition of the need to end the fix which sees the president chosen by the US administration.
Social services
News
World Bank health strategy rejected
European executive directors and alternates have written a letter to staff in the human development network to explain their rejection of the draft health, nutrition and population strategy.
Finance
Background
Civil society meeting with German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development and Liberian Min
Minutes from meeting: The agenda of the Development Committee and Africa as a focal point for growth and responsibility, with Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany and Antoinette M. Sayeh, Minister of Finance, Republic of Liberia.
Social services
News
Spring meetings descend into chaos
The credibility of the World Bank is in tatters, as accusations of nepotism and religious intolerance of family planning have engulfed the institution. Read on for updates on the official and unofficial meetings that took place in Washington around the 2007 spring meetings.
Land
News
Parliamentarians on World Bank
The seventh annual conference of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank was held in Cape Town in March.
Conditionality
News
IMF wants tax on mosquito nets in Zambia
The IMF provoked public ire in Zambia by asking the government to remove value added tax exemptions on a range of goods, including mosquito nets used to fight malaria.
Featured briefings
5 October 2023
World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings 2023
4 October 2023
The Bretton Woods Observer: Autumn 2023
4 October 2023
The IMF and World Bank talk good governance, but walk with state- capturers
From South Africa to Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, the Bank and Fund have demonstrated they are not appropriate allies to address the scale of the crisis the world is facing, especially, given their record.