EBRD’S ECONOMIC INCLUSION STRATEGY AND INCLUSION POLICY ENGAGEMENTInclusion strategy Economic inclusion and inequality have become the defining political, social and economic issues shaping the EBRD region78 today. The Economic Inclusion Strategy (EIS) is based on the concept of equality of opportunity and focuses on groups that experience disproportionate barriers to economic opportunity due to circumstances outside of their control – such as their gender, place of birth or socioeconomic background – which, in turn, influences their transition from education into employment. In this context, the primary target groups of the EIS are women, young labour market entrants and populations in disadvantaged (urban or rural) regions within a country, with an anticipated gradual expansion of target groups to include the ageing workforce, people with disabilities, refugees and others. The EIS is integrated in the overall strategic and project cycles at country level (for instance through diagnostic studies) or at project and policy level with EBRD’s forward-looking transition impact assessment system. There are three strategic themes: 1. access to employment and skills; 2. entrepreneurship and access to finance; and 3. access to services that enhance economic opportunities (such as water, power, transport or infrastructure). The focus is on the systemic impact of benefits to materialise in the wider sector or market through scale and replicability. The application is across the EBRD’s investments, in all sectors and regions. The EBRD regions include countries in the regions of Europe, Central Asia and the Mediterranean, (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 2018) Efforts can be complemented through technical assistance, bringing in the relevant technical expertise and capacity building at client and policy levels. Inclusion policy engagement The EBRD’s inclusion policy dialogue leverages its strong private sector engagement to achieve broader systemic impact at national, sectoral and regional levels by addressing structural, regulatory and other policy challenges to foster equitable access to economic opportunity. Inclusion Policy Engagement Programs integrate the EBRD’s experience in the following selected areas: support the reduction and elimination of regulatory barriers to the access to all types of occupations for target groups; introduce inclusive public procurement policies to encourage private sector contractors to offer work-based learning opportunities; and further explore opportunities to: i. introduce Women in Business policy engagement to address regulatory barriers to the access of finance and entrepreneurship; ii. identify policy recommendations in relation to new target groups (ageing, disability and others), in line with country strategies; and iii. establish synergies between the EBRD’s Investment Climate and Governance Initiative and inclusive policy engagement. Every country, in line with the EBRD’s strategic priorities, benefits through tailored inclusion policy objectives and priorities.
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