Regions and Countries

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p. 4 of 19 BACK | NEXT I. Country Performance Assessment A. Economic Performance Assessment B. Poverty Assessment C. Assessment of Socio-Environmental Performance D. Governance: Sound Development Management E. Implementation Assessment II. Country Operational Strategy III. Sector Strategies IV. Regional Cooperation V. Donor Activities and Aid Coordination VI. Cofinancing and Catalyzing External Resources VII. ADB’s Operational Program VIII. Economic and Sector Work Program IX. Local Cost Financing

Country Assistance Plans - Cook Islands : I. Country Performance Assessment

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C. Assessment of Socio-Environmental Performance

1. Gender Issues

9. The Human Development Index for females in Cook Islands is two percent higher than that for males. This largely reflects a higher life expectancy of 71.5 years, compared with 68.4 years for males. Women's status as measured by the Human Poverty Index is also two percent higher than men's. The primary and secondary enrolment ratios for females are 99 and 98, respectively.

10. Although women represent over half of secondary enrolments, including about two-thirds of form 6-7 classes, women are under-represented in formal employment, including in the higher levels of the public service. Women constitute 39 percent of the workforce, and only 34 percent are in paid employment. Women are also under-represented in Parliament. For these reasons, policy measures are required to ensure equitable access of women to social and economic opportunities. In ADB operations, the following gender and development objectives will be pursued: (a) to promote equal participation of women in the economy, with particular attention to employment opportunities; and (b) to encourage the active involvement of women in decision-making in the public and private sectors. The 2000/2001 update of the economic report on the Cook Islands will also seek to provide indicators of service delivery performance in the health and education sectors on a gender disaggregated basis, to permit gender biases to be identified and policies formulated to address them.

2. Human Development

11. The Pacific Human Development Report 1999 presents an HDI score for Cook Islands of 0.822, which places the country in first place among PDMCs. The ranking is the result of a high adult literacy rate (93.2 percent), a high gross enrolment rate in primary and secondary school (84.8 percent), high life expectancy (72 years), and relatively high GDP per capita ($5,000). However, the non-communicable, lifestyle diseases are a key health issue. Diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension associated with obesity are of particular concern. The Government of Cook Islands spends about 12 percent of its total budget on health, which is around the level of other PDMCs. Health service provision is likely to have larger demands placed on it in the future within a tighter overall budget constraint, so that ways of improving efficiency of service delivery will have to be sought.

12. The major human development challenges are the alleviation of Rarotonga/outer island (urban/rural) disparities and the delivery of essential services in cost-effective, sustainable ways. There are several constraints to cost-effective national health, education and welfare service delivery, particularly in the outer islands. An obvious one is geographic. The country's small population is scattered over 18 islands and 45 settlements averaging roughly 400 people. Poor roads and limited transport often make access to schools and clinics problematic. Walking to a school or a clinic can take an hour or more. Communications between headquarters and outer island officers is infrequent and expensive. High transportation costs undermine cost-effective distribution of books, building materials and drugs, regular visits by specialist medical staff, and upgrading of housing, water supplies and amenities. Economies of scale are largely nonexistent in the outer islands. The average preschool size is 15 students. The average primary school has an enrolment of 135 pupils. Another obstacle is the limited management, administrative, and professional/technical capacity in the outer islands, combined with unclear lines of delegation between headquarters and outer island authorities.

3. Environment

13. In urban areas, waste management and water supply are inadequate. This is a threat to the health of the population on Rarotonga and to the growth and sustainability of the tourism sector, which is the mainstay of the economy. Another growth industry, pearl farming, is also at risk due to overstocking of shells (farms continue to expand in the absence of proper controls and regulation) on Manihiki island.

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