The World Bank Group turns its focus on diversity and inclusion (D&I) this March in

what has become a memorable and instructive annual celebration. This year is distinctive as country offices and VPUs are hosting an unparal-leled number of events.

“My hope is that this month of activities will give staff pause to consider how they include others,” said the Bank Group’s Chief Diversity Officer Julie Oyegun. “Our diversity is our strength, and the extent to which we integrate these diverse programs is a necessary element in supporting our staff and managers to develop solutions to the world’s most complex development challenges.”

Statistics demonstrate gradual progress in increasing gender represen-tation at all grade levels (see graphic below), particularly with regard to gender parity in management.

Meanwhile, a renewed focus on diversity includes a push to diversify our U.S. staff even further, as well as a focus on balancing ethnic minori-ties throughout country offices.

The International Women’s Day Centennial on March 8 will be marked by a panel discussion in the Eugene Black Auditorium entitled, “Equal Access to Educa-tion, Training, and Career Management for Women” followed by a reception. On that same day, the IFC will hold its Annual CEO Gender Awards.

March 16 features a pair of GLOBE events, with a presenta-tion of the LGBT workplace climate survey findings. This will be followed by an evening screening of “Out in the Silence,” a documentary focusing on LGBT issues in rural America.

Get ready for some humor when the “Laugh in Peace Tour” descends upon the IFC Auditorium on March 17. Comedians Rabbi Bob Alper, Reverend Susan Sparks, and Azhar Usman in-voke issues around religious inclusion.

March 21 is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimi-nation. U.S. Executive Director Ian Solomon will introduce noted Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

On March 29, don’t miss the 8th An-nual Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Awards ceremony in the MC Atrium.

As the March Celebration launches, there is an unprecedented level of senior support for diversity and inclu-sion. The Bank Group’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group (DIAG) is focused on moving this agenda for-ward. Comprised of about 20 senior-level managers and staff, including representatives from the Staff As-sociation, DIAG advises management and helps to set D&I Strategy. This year’s Chair is MIGA Executive Vice President Izumi Kobayashi—Deputy Chairs are Sanjay Pradhan (VP-WBI) and James Scriven, Director, IFC.

“This month is all about get-ting together to reinvigorate the way we work,” said Oyegun. “There is something for everyone, and a chance to learn, celebrate, and move forward together.”

For a calendar of March events, type “diversity” in your browser.

29th Edition - March 7, 2011

Info

Gra

phIc Females at the World Bank Group

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

All WBG Graded Staff

GF+ staff MDs VPs Directors

52%

40%

67%

47%

31%

*Data as of FY11Q2 per HR Query

March is Celebration of Diversity Month

thE-Junction March 7, 2011 | page 2

In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of International Wom-en’s Day, Women Deliver issued a list of the hundred most inspiring people who are working on behalf of girls and women worldwide.

The organization recognized both women and men who have commit-ted themselves to improving the lives of girls and women. Their awardees included World Bank Managing Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. They cited Okonjo-Iweala’s commitment to gender equality and develop-ment: “Okonjo-Iweala has shattered glass ceilings across continents and sectors, and fought to put women and gender at the center of the international development agenda … Okonjo-Iweala has been an out-spoken advocate for gender equality, calling it a central component of the Bank’s fight against global poverty. She is both a powerful example and

a fierce advocate for women on the world stage.”

Launched in 2007, Women Deliver works globally to generate political commitment and financial invest-ment for fulfilling Millennium Devel-opment Goal #5—to reduce maternal mortality and achieve universal access to reproductive health.

“When I read the stories of the individuals honored, I am overcome with inspiration and gratitude,” Women Deliver President Jill Shef-field wrote in a blog post. “These are some of the most intrepid and com-mitted people in the world, who are dedicated to improving the lives of girls and women…at many costs.”

This year, winners came from var-ious arenas—economics, education, health, human rights, journalism, philanthropy, and politics. Ngozi was one of five winners from Nigeria and one of twenty-seven from Africa.

Before rejoining the World Bank Group as Managing Director in 2007, Ngozi co-founded the Makeda Fund, which invests in women-owned busi-nesses across Africa with the goal of spurring investment, employment, and economic power among Africa’s women. She was the first woman to serve as Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and as Foreign Affairs Minister, and she was instrumental in increasing government transparency and com-bating corruption. Previously, she pursued a 21-year career as a devel-opment economist at the World Bank, where she rose to the position of Vice President and Corporate Secretary.

Here’s to a more enlightened next hundred years,” wrote Presi-dent Sheffield, “where girls and women will continue leading, in-spiring, and delivering, and where, in turn, we will do a better job of delivering for them.”

Women Deliver advocates for ma-ternal health—that it is both a human right and a practical necessity for sustainable development. Its mission is to promote and advance the health of girls, women, and mothers as a core element of the global develop-ment agenda.

International Women’s Day (IWD) was honored in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland on March 19, 1911 for the first time. More than 1 million people assembled to fight for women’s rights to vote, work, and hold public office. Since then gov-ernments, institutions, and women’s groups around the world have organized their own events to mark the social, economic, and political accomplishments of women.

For more info, type “diversity” in your browser.

Ngozi: One of One Hundred Global Women Who Deliver

March 7, 2011 | page 3thE-Junction

One in a series profiling the recipients of the 2010 D&I Leadership Awards.

Mercy Tembon, Country Manager, Bujumbura Office

Profiles in D&I Leadership

Thanks to her high-quality peo-ple skills, and her capacity to lead in a diverse post-conflict

environment, Burundi Country Man-ager Mercy Tembon was recognized in 2010 with a Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Award.

“Burundi is a post-conflict country that has gone through quite a lot in terms of ethnic conflict,” said Tem-bon, who has served a decade at the Bank—first in the Africa Region, then Human Development before moving to Burundi two years ago. “When I came, I tried as much as possible to bring everybody together.”

Upon her arrival, Tembon learned that many staff had been there for a very long time—some for more than 17 years. Some staff felt like they were lagging behind, because their English skills weren’t up to par. For that reason, she instituted Tuesdays as English days. “Gradually, everybody made an effort,” enthused Tembon. “The region supported us, every body in the office was taking global English.” Many took tailored English learning programs, including drivers, ACS, and task team leaders. As a direct result of this new fluency and confidence, several local staff have moved on to international positions.

“There is a flip side to that,” she pointed out. “The non-Burundians didn’t understand the local language and were missing out. So our solu-tion was to develop a Kirundi phrase book that we gave to all staff who came here on mission. That just in-creased the ambience of the place.”

Today, Tembon’s team comprises 22 staff. The majority is from Bu-rundi, but newcomers have diversi-fied the place—staff hail from seven countries, including Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal. Since she be-gan hiring more women, there is also gender parity—albeit not yet in the senior ranks.

During the 7th Annual D&I Lead-ership Awards, Tembon was celebrat-ed for “hammering the message that ‘we are a staff of excellence’” and “giving high visibility to the action of the Bank in the country.”

“The whole point for me is that once staff are happy, their productivity goes up,” said Tembon. “I value the staff well-being. I value their state of mind.”

Tembon is aiming to transform the Bank’s reputation in Burundi. “The other part of diversity is this: The Government and partners used to consider the Bank a very closed place. I kept saying, ‘the Bank has a face and a heart.’” So Tembon began inviting Government counterparts to

office retreats, initiated a monthly donor meeting, and set about com-municating results and processes much more widely. “This way, the Bank is more inclusive.”

Recently, the entire country office collaborated on the 30th anniversary of the Bank’s presence in Burundi. The week of events culminated in a series of TV and radio events, with all staff pitching in.

“The Bank provides opportunities. You need discipline and personal will power, but you can make yourself what you want to be,” stressed Tem-bon. “My staff is very hardworking and a happy team. There is respect for each other. We’ve been able to accom-plish a lot during these two years.”

Above all, diversity contributes to the bottom line: “It brings differ-ent angles of looking at things,” said Tembon. “The fact that we have a diverse team—and everybody has a voice around the table—improves the quality of the work that we do. And we value that very much.”

thE-Junction March 7, 2011 | page 4

Project: AmbassadorAmbassador of the Republic of Singapore to the United States

Q&A with Heng Chee ChanQ: How long have you been Ambassador in Washington, D.C.?

A: I have served 14 years as Am-bassador from Singapore, since 1996. Strictly speaking, I am not a career diplomat. I am a University academ-ic. I was chairman of the Department of Political Science at the National University of Singapore. I was asked in 1989 by my Foreign Minister to be Ambassador at the United Nations. That was how it began.

Q: Briefly describe Singapore.A: We are an island country with a

diverse population of less than 5 mil-lion people, but you’ve got to compare us with cities. Today, we are a hub of international trade and finance. If you go back to 1965 when we became independent, you see that development has worked. Our success has to do with honest, non-corrupt leadership, and our people. Singapore is without

natural resources. Our most important resource is human resources. And in my country, we invest a lot in educa-tion. We believe in educating everyone to the full potential. For us, education has been fundamental in development.

Q: What is your role as Ambassador?A: The essence of being an Ambas-

sador remains the same. What changes over the years is how you fulfill this responsibility. My job is to represent Singapore and develop strong bilateral relations with the United States. My government will give some instruc-tions, but I have a lot of leeway. I have

a very specific objective right now to work on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is a free trade agreement among eight countries—Singapore, Chile, Peru, New Zealand, Brunei, Australia, the United States, and Vietnam (which is an associate member).

Q: Describe your career rise.A: Being an academic was an

excellent foundation. It emphasized communications skills and enabled me to stand up and talk on any subject, which an Ambassador needs. I also believe it gave me an analytical ad-vantage, and led me to be more open. Later, at the United Nations, I learned that individuals matter. The hero in history is true. It is the individual who makes things happen. At the UN, you will find that the abilities of a single Ambassador can make a fundamental difference. After two years at the UN, I returned to Singapore where I ran

a think tank, and then started Singa-pore’s “Peace Corps” (Singapore Inter-national Foundation), which trained our volunteers to serve overseas.

Q: How can women grow to be prominent in their chosen fields?

A: Given my mature age, I’m not like the current generation where everybody feels equal. I had a very traditional Confucian childhood as a Chinese daughter, which means wom-en were not regarded as equal to men. Now, my mother was superstitious. The fortune-teller told her my horoscope, saying that her daughter’s life is like

that of a man. And she kept repeating that to me. My mother was reinforcing in me that I could do anything. I can do what men do. That, I think, helped me cross barriers. Whenever I embark on something new, I remember the fortune-teller. I was the first woman in my country to be an Ambassador.

Q: You are the most senior of a group of female Ambassadors in Washington.

A: Yes, we are about 25 female Am-bassadors. When I arrived in 1996, there were five female Ambassadors. This is quite a significant jump. We try to help each other by organizing lunches and inviting senior female officials from the U.S. Administration. There is a real sense that we are a community.

For more information, contact Pauline Ramprasad, 202-473-0821, pramprasad@worldbank.org.

“ My mother was reinforcing in me that I could do anything. I can do what men do.”