Opinion Journal: Bang for the Development Buck

Among the spending choices for governments of poorer nations, kick-starting the technological revolution may at first seem like a low priority. Compared with critical infrastructure, healthcare, or schools, improved digital access and less waiting times for birth certificates feel like luxuries that should come further down the road, or perhaps be left to private enterprise. But there is reason to rethink this.

In Haiti, as in most nations, social distortions and inequalities make it harder for women to participate in the labor market as much as men.

According to a study carried out by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Rights (MCFDF), women make up less than one-third of the formal sector. In addition to having less access to employment opportunities than men, women work in more precarious jobs and the income they generate remains lower. Women hold less than ten percent of management positions.

Here’s $2.5 trillion. You have 15 years to spend it. How do you distribute this money in a way that will achieve the most good for the world? This isn’t a hypothetical. In September 2015, the United Nations set its Sustainable Development Goals,  a continuation of the Millennium Development Goals it set in 2000.