让技能为女性服务：改善正规有薪就业机会

DISCUSSION PAPERNo. 2705 | JULY 2026 Making Skills Work for Women:Improving Access to FormalWage Employment Maria Laura Sanchez PuertaAbhilasha Sahay Series Description The Social Policy and Labor Discussion Paper series presents analysis and research that informs policy dialogue andoperational practice across social protection, social development, and labor markets. Social Protection: the collection covers the full lifecycle of Social Assistance, Social Insurance, Care, and SocialServices. Labor: the collection covers Active and Passive Labor Market Programs, Training and Skills Development, YouthEmployment, Economic Inclusion, and International Labor Mobility and Migration. SocialDevelopment:the collection covers Community and Local Development,Inclusion,Cohesion,ForcedDisplacement, Gender, and Human Rights. Across all areas, the series highlights cross-cutting issues such as Climate Change, Fragility and Conflict, andResilience. Copyright © 2026 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW,Washington DC 20433 Telephone: +1 (202) 473 1000; Internet: www.worldbank.org. This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings,interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of TheWorld Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries,colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply anyjudgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or theendorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS The material in this work is subject to copyright. Because The World Bank encourages dissemination ofits knowledge, this work may be reproduced, in whole or in part, for noncommercial purposes as longas full attribution to this work is given. Any queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to World BankPublications, The World Bank Group, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; fax: +1 (202) 5222625; e-mail: pubrights@worldbank.org. Making Skills Work for Women:Improving Access to Formal Wage Employment June 2026 Maria Laura Sanchez Puerta and Abhilasha Sahay1 Abstract: Skills development is a critical lever for enabling women to access and thrive in formal wageemployment.2Investments in education and lifelong learning- particularly in skills demanded by employers- canenhance employability, improve school-to-work transitions, and address gender gaps in labor markets. Yetevidence from skills programs shows mixed results: conventional training has limited impacts when misalignedwith labor market demand, while bundled interventions, industry-linked programs, and gender-responsivedelivery mechanisms show more promise. This note documents evidence and distills recommendations arounddifferent characteristicsof skills programs, including program content(technical,digital,and soft skills),combinations of skills training, and apprenticeships, industry linkages and job placement, instructor training,delivery mechanisms, and program design features (location, hours, additional services provided such aschildcare, transport, etc.). It also considers cost-effectiveness and implementation lessons, with a focus on skillsthat expand women’s access to, retention in, and progression within formal wage jobs, in fast-developingcountries. JEL codes: J16, J24, J8, I25 Keyword: Skills, gender, training, productivity, formality, mentoring, occupational segregation Policy Takeaways 1.Invest in skill bundles that employers value and women can use. Single-skill programs rarely move women into formal jobs. Training should intentionally combine technical,socio-emotional, and digital skills to strengthen job search, workplace performance, and mobility into higher-quality roles. 2.Design gender-responsive skills programs around jobs, not classrooms. Training should start with a clear pathway to formal employment, including employer co-design, work-basedlearning, and placement support. Employer engagement must expand women’s access to better, frontier andnon-traditional jobs. 3.Pair skills with solutions to women’s binding constraints. Skills alone will not close gender gaps. Childcare, transport, stipends, flexible delivery, and measures to reduceworkplace bias are not add-ons—they are core design features that determine whether women participate,stay, and advance. 4.Train for where jobs are going, not only where women are already concentrated. Skills investments should target growth-oriented and formal labor markets while embedding transferable,future-ready skills such as digital and financial literacy, adaptability, and problem-solving to support women’slong-term employability. 5.Build systems to improve access for women, not one-off programs. La