This brief series recognizes that, despite advancements, we have to build a stronger bridge between empirical scholarly work, new policy directions, and actual practice on the ground. The series seeks to address that gap and contribute to the realization of the women, peace and security agenda through the promotion of evidence-based policy and practice.

This paper summarizes the findings of a study that shows that a life-cycle approach can help to reveal meaningful differences in the way women, men, girls, and boys experience poverty. It examines the different life stages as they transition to adulthood and form their own households, and tracks changes from childhood to childbearing and beyond. This is the first study to look at these dimensions systematically at the global level.

This report provides a unique quantification of the costs in terms of lost growth opportunities and an estimate of what societies, economies, and communities would gain if the gender gap in agriculture is addressed. The findings of this report are striking, and send a strong signal to policy makers in Africa as well as development partners that closing the gender gap is smart economics. Consider this: closing the gender gap in agricultural productivity could potentially lift as many as 238,000 people out of poverty in Malawi, 80,000 people in Tanzania, and 119,000 people in Uganda.