This July, the World Bank Group celebrates its 80th anniversary. But for us — women rights defenders from Asia, Africa, and Latin America — there is nothing to celebrate.
While the World Bank is proudly presenting its successes in fighting poverty and building a greener future, the stories of communities in our countries paint a very different picture. From recent controversial projects to old ones where communities never found justice, the World Bank has a 80-year legacy of harm and impoverishment.
The negative impact of development projects can be long lasting. In 1985, the World Bank funded the Kedung Ombo Dam in Indonesia. Over 27,000 people were forcibly and violently evicted, with the military threatening those trying to resist. Forty years later, the harm inflicted remains unaddressed. Resettled women don’t have close access to water sources, health facilities, and a market. Pregnant women have failed to get checkups, while children have often dropped out of school and are being forced into early marriages.
About the authors
Titi Soentoro
Titi Soentoro is a feminist activist and executive director of the Indonesian NGO Aksi! for Gender, Social and Ecological Justice. She advocates for women’s rights and facilitates knowledge and skill-sharing for affected communities and particularly women, who are defending their rights in the context of harmful development and climate projects.
Mbole Veronique
Mbole Veronique is a young environmental activist from Cameroon, committed to fostering deeper connections with Mother Earth. With the local NGO Green Development Advocates, she supports local communities and Indigenous peoples in Cameroon and the wider Congo basin in demanding respect for their rights, through advocacy, training, and capacity-building activities.
Verónica Gostissa
Verónica Gostissa is a criminal lawyer and ecofeminist from Argentina. She is member of the collective Asamblea PUCARA — the Pueblos Catamarqueños en Resistencia y Autodeterminación — and coordinator for Argentina at the Observatorio Plurinacional de Salares Andinos, or OPSAL.
