EBRD contracted A2F Consulting to conduct a gender assessment to inform future EBRD agribusiness investments and the Bank’s potential policy engagement and support for reforms in the public sector in Uzbekistan and Turkey. In this context, a baseline assessment was conducted with the intention of helping to better understand existing gaps between men and women in the agribusiness sector, focusing on legal, regulatory, financial, economic and social barriers for women, as well as the existing gaps in providing assistance in these areas.

The Covid-19 pandemic is having a disproportionate effect on the lives and livelihoods of people with disabilities. The adverse health effects of the coronavirus are amplified for people with disabilities, so many fall into stricter shielding categories, making them subject to more stringent public health containment measures and limiting their access to employment and other economic activities.

More young people live in India than in any other country and their numbers are projected to increase for decades to come. More than 12 million enter the workforce each year yet few have the skills required for employment. The Government of India has set a target to skill 400 million people by 2022 and established the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) as part of this mission. Through NSDC, government is engaged with private sector partners to advance strategic approaches in skills development by creating public-private partnerships with companies involved in skill training.

The publication is intended to be a first step towards generating knowledge on the role of private sector in skills generation for increased inclusiveness and employability. It includes several case studies from Turkey, in which the private sector has created significant added-value through private sector-led or PPP models of skills design and delivery. It elaborates on the lessons-learned from these cases to pave the way for further action and research on how business actors can contribute to skills development, especially for the disadvantaged.