In the village of Majgaon in Assam, India, women like Runu Hazarika are running mechanized water transportation businesses. Their stories highlight how modern and inclusive infrastructure can impact women's agency, dignity, and economic independence.
Globally, while women have become more educated and skilled, their participation in the workforce remains at 53%, compared to 80% for men. Barriers such as unsafe transport, unreliable energy supply, and discriminatory land policies continue to limit their opportunities. Research indicates that removing these barriers could increase national output by up to 15-20% in many countries.
Efforts to create infrastructure that supports women involve making choices in policy and system design. Strengthening institutional capacity, updating regulations, and incentivizing both public and private investment are key steps toward building services that better reach women.
The World Bank Group is working with countries to assess and address these challenges through strategic advice and engagement. In the transport sector, the She Drives Change toolkit provides policymakers with a structured method for identifying disparities across subsectors like urban transit, rural roads, railways, aviation, maritime transport, and economic corridors. It includes targeted interventions and indicators as well as examples from World Bank projects worldwide.
Early in 2025, the Women in Transport Network was launched by several organizations including the World Bank Group. This network aims to support governments across Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa by sharing lessons on inclusive transport systems. An associated report calls for greater attention to women's employment in transport sectors and outlines actionable steps to overcome barriers related to education and promotion.
Urban planning decisions also affect women's safety and access during emergencies or when seeking credit or property rights. The World Bank Group's course "Enhancing Disaster Risk Management through Gender-Inclusive Assessments" is designed to help teams understand gender roles in disaster preparedness and recovery operations. Another resource offers guidance on integrating gender into land valuation frameworks.
Reliable energy supply is another focus area. Through ESMAP (Energy Sector Management Assistance Program), clean-cooking programs are being scaled up in India and Africa by supporting women-run enterprises that sell modern stoves—improving health outcomes while saving time for families.
Surjamani Devi from Bihar received a gas stove through one such initiative. She said: "The earthen stove consumed more firewood and wasted so much time. The smoke was harmful to our eyes. The children couldn't study. They had to sit outside due to the smoke. It darkened the walls and the entire house. The entire family's health has improved."
Regional alliances such as WePOWER (South Asia), RENEW MENA (Middle East & North Africa), and WEN-Africa (Africa) promote mentorships for young professionals while creating pathways into technical roles within the energy sector. From January 2024 through November 2025, these networks launched over 7,000 initiatives reaching more than 95,000 girls and women.
Mission 300—a partnership between the World Bank Group and African Development Bank—aims to expand electricity access for 300 million people across Africa by 2030 with a focus on benefiting women and girls through both grid expansion projects and off-grid renewable solutions.
World Bank initiatives also target other sectors where women make up a significant portion of workers; efforts include improving safety standards in artisanal mining operations.
According to advocates of these programs, addressing systemic issues rather than isolated symptoms creates lasting change by establishing clearer rules for private investment while strengthening public institutions’ ability to deliver results.
"When infrastructure systems work for women," notes one section of recent reporting on these efforts,"participation rises,jobs multiply,and markets grow." In places like Majgaon,village leaders say,the sound of engines signals not just commerce but opportunity.