22 U.S.C. § 262p–3 — Participation of women in economic, social and policy development activities

(a) Congressional declaration of policy
Congress declares it is U.S. policy that multilateral development banks^* should: (1) fully involve women in borrowing countries in identifying, planning, carrying out, and evaluating the banks' main development projects; (2) recognize and support women's direct and indirect roles in their countries' and communities' economic development; (3) recognize and support women's roles in educating and developing their families and communities socially, keeping them healthy, and feeding them — especially children; (4) work to remove legal and customary barriers that stop women from fully taking part in economic and social development, such as lack of access to credit, property rights, education, health care, and government services; and (5) involve women's groups in borrowing countries in identifying and preparing projects, so their views on women's economic and social needs shape project design.

(b) Instructions by Secretary of the Treasury
The Treasury Secretary must instruct: (1) the U.S. representative at the World Bank and the International Development Association to support strengthening the Women in Development division's role in policy, project design, and evaluation; and (2) the U.S. representatives at the regional development banks to support exploring a mechanism — new or strengthened — at each bank to advise on and promote fully including women in planning, designing, carrying out, and evaluating lending, both in borrowing countries and within the banks.

(c) Annual reports to Congress
Each year, the National Advisory Council on International Monetary and Financial Policies must describe, in its report to Congress, what the banks have done to carry out the policies in this section.