The disappearing of ‘smart economics’? The World Development Report 2012 on Gender Equality : Some concerns about the preparatory process and the prospects for paradigm change

This article draws on personal involvement in the World Bank’s consultation with academic ‘stakeholders’ for the World Development Report 2012 (WDR 2012) on Gender Equality and Development. The article questions the extent to which ‘smart economics’, which was the zeitgeist of the Bank’s Gender Action Plan (GAP) 2007–2010, shows signs of being replaced by a more ‘gender-sensitive’ approach in which women’s rights (rather than responsibilities) are to the fore. While the main focus of the article centres on the preparatory process for WDR 2012, brief reference is also made to the evolution and spread of ‘smart economics’ thinking, the experience of World Bank consultation, and GAP’s successor – Applying GAP Lessons: A Three-Year Road Map for Gender Mainstreaming (2010–2013).