Policy Forum Pod

From Bill Gates to the United Nations, everyone wants to end poverty. But what does ‘poverty’ actually mean – beyond simply having a low income? How does it affect men and women differently? And do policymakers working to tackle the problem really understand the experiences of the people they’re trying to help? This week on Policy Forum Pod, host Martyn Pearce chats with Caren Grown, Senior Director for Gender at the World Bank, and Sharon Bessell, a lead designer of a new, gender-sensitive and multidimensional measure of poverty. Topics discussed include whether the World Bank has changed its tune on development since the 1980s, how to close the global data gap between men and women, and where to find the next low-hanging fruit when it comes to eradicating poverty. Dr Caren Grown is Senior Director for Gender at the World Bank Group and an internationally-recognised expert on gender and development. Sharon Bessell is a Professor at Crawford School of Public Policy, where she is co-leader of the ANU Individua