We are investing more than ever in educating girls, yet female labor force participation is declining in key regions. At the same time, our global measures of poverty and environmental wealth struggle to keep pace with rapid social and ecological changes.

In this episode, we join senior economists and directors from the World Bank Group to analyze the hidden barriers to equality and sustainability. We discuss how legal frameworks in over 180 countries restrict women's economic mobility, how household surveys are designed to monitor global poverty lines, and how innovative financial instruments like blue bonds can protect fragile coastal communities.

• Traditional labor statistics often ignore the heavy burden of unpaid domestic and care duties that keep women from entering the formal workforce.
• Gender-based violence generat ...