NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

A networking lunch will start at 12:00pm, with discussion starting at approximately 12:45pm.

The importance of gender equity in development is widely recognized, yet gender equity within the institutions responsible for carrying out development often lags far behind those values. While there has been some progress—women constituted half of newly hired economists at the World Bank in 2022—women’s representation in top leadership roles, including the executive boards, across the international financial institutions (IFIs) is still lacking.

Join CGD for an event alongside the Annual Meetings to explore key questions including: What barriers prevent women from ascending to higher leadership roles? And how can we ensure transparency and accountability at the IFIs as the push toward internal gender equity continues? The dialogue will also explore the role influential stakeholders play in advocating for equal representation in both politically-appointed and technocratic leadership positions.

Time: 12:00—2:00 PM EST | 5:00 – 7:00 PM BST

Countries are facing a polycrisis—the aftermath of a global pandemic, the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, and economic and fiscal challenges—recovery from which will require both revenue and strengthened health systems.

This event will discuss the findings from a new report by the Task Force on Fiscal Policy for Health, of which CGD is the secretariat. The report advocates for implementing and increasing health taxes as a timely policy solution to raise revenue and save lives. The consumption of tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages leads to over 10 million annual deaths worldwide and economic costs of over $4 trillion. The report finds that if taxes were increased such that the price of these products increased by 50 percent, 50 million lives would be saved over 50 years and US$3.7 trillion raised in just five years. US$2.1 trillion of this would be raised in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)—enough to increase government health spending in these countries by 40 percent.

Implementing and maintaining effective health taxes will require bold leadership from politicians, including collaboration between ministers of finance and of health, supported by international institutions, such as the World Bank. This event will consider the role of ministers and international finance institutions, discuss effective messaging they can use, and draw on country experiences to explore how to successfully implement health taxes.

Time: 3:00—5:00 PM EST | 8:00—10:00 PM BST