World Bank [to 12 September 2015]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

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World Bank: Quality Education, Social Protection Critical to Stemming Inequality in Asia and the Pacific
CEBU, Philippines, September 11, 2015 – Investing in quality education and providing social protection for the poor stand out among the key policies to address rising inequality in the Asia-Pacific region…
Date: September 11, 2015 Type: Press Release

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World Bank Meets African Caucus in Advance of Fresh Round of Talks on Safeguards Amidst Record Lending for the Continent
WASHINGTON, September 10, 2015–World Bank officials met with the African Caucus in Luanda, Angola, August 27 and 28, to present an update on the work to revise policies for protecting the poor and the…
Date: September 10, 2015 Type: Press Release

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Discriminating Against Women Keeps Countries Poorer
Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director of the World Bank.
In 100 countries around the world, women are barred from doing certain work solely because they are women. Over 150 countries have at least one law that is discriminatory towards women. And only 18 countries are free of any law disadvantaging women.
This is just the tip of the iceberg of legal barriers for women to achieve their full economic potential. New World Bank Group research in the Women, Business and the Law 2016 report shows that in 32 countries women cannot apply for passports in the same way as men and in 18 countries they cannot get a job if their husbands feel it is not in the family’s interest. Jordan and Iran are among them. In 59 countries, there are no laws against sexual harassment at work. Myanmar, Uzbekistan and Armenia are among 46 countries where there is no legal protection against domestic violence. In a nutshell, the research makes for depressing reading when you care about inclusion and ending poverty.
Date: September 10, 2015 Type: Opinion

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Middle East and North Africa Makes Progress on Gender Equality, But Severe Barriers Persist, says WBG Report
WASHINGTON, September 9, 2015 – Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Lebanon have enacted reforms to advance women’s economic advancement, although women in the Middle East and North Africa region face the most hurdles…
Date: September 9, 2015 Type: Press Release

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New Report Examines Payment Aspects of Financial Inclusion
The Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI) and the World Bank Group today issued a consultative report on Payment aspects of financial inclusion. The report examines demand and supply-side factors affecting financial inclusion in the context of payment systems and services, and suggests measures to address these issues.
Date: September 9, 2015 Type: Press Release