This report is a preliminary assessment of the gender-specific impact of transnational corporations. It focuses mainly on gender equality, spanning the wage and employment impact of TNCs, and the related potential for women's empowerment.

The World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development argues that closing these gaps is a core development objective in its own right. It is also smart economics. Greater gender equality can enhance productivity, improve development outcomes for the next generation, and make institutions more representative. The authors use a conceptual framework to examine progress to date, and then recommend policy actions.

This issue of the Employment Trends for Women looks at the gender aspects of the impact of the financial crisis and slowdown in world economic growth on jobs, and updates indicators on the situation of women in labour markets around the world.

This review aims to take stock of the achievements of 15 years of work on the Violence against Women (VAW) mandate, which has produced an impressive collection of 14 annual reports, 32 country mission reports, 11 communication reports comprising many communications to and from governments, and several other pieces of research.