Countries and Regions

	Table of Contents
p. 17 of 25 BACK | NEXT I. Country Performance Assessment II. Country Operational Strategy III. Sector Strategies A. Agriculture B. Infrastructure C. Social Infrastructure and Environment D. Governance Dimensions of ADB Operations E. Gender Dimensions of ADB Operations F. Province Level Interventions G. Private Sector Development 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 - Pakistan : III. Sector Strategies

---

E. Gender Dimensions of ADB Operations

80. The status of women in Pakistan, as evidenced from persistent gender disparities, remains dismal. This is a core element of the Gender Strategy, prepared in 1995 for the COS and is still relevant today³². Its main goals include: (i) measures to combat the multiple constraints which prevent girls from entering school and from completing primary and middle level schooling; (ii) special attention to women's health given Pakistan's high fertility rates and low contraceptive prevalence; and (iii) support to the enhancement of women's productivity and their economic empowerment which holds the best promise to improve their condition.

81. The strategy and the Gender Briefing Paper are both being finalized by mid 2000 to reflect the current realities of gender issues in Pakistan. The revised Gender Briefing Paper will examine progress made on essential issues such as the delivery of social services, women's access to income and employment and women's rights. In addition, emerging areas such as the legal status of women, violence against women and the gender dimensions of poverty will be assessed and strategic areas for ADB intervention identified. A Gender and Development Officer has been posted at PRM for a period of three years under RETA 5835 to ensure that gender concerns are adequately addressed by ADB and executing agencies.

82. During the program period gender issues will continue to be reflected in the lending and technical assistance program. The ongoing Malakand Rural Development Project³³ will positively impact on income generation and poverty reduction for women, as will the newly commenced Women's Health Project. A number of proposed projects, including the Nonformal Education for Rural Women Project programmed for 2000, the Reproductive Health Project programmed for 2001, and the Primary School Quality Improvement Project programmed for 2001 will all directly focus on improving the status of women in Pakistan. Proposed technical assistance such as the ADTA for Strengthening of NGO-Government Collaboration in 2000 will also enable gender and development issues to remain high on the ADB's agenda. The latter will promote capacity building and institutional strengthening, which are urgently needed in Pakistan's NGO sector to facilitate greater capacity to efficiently deliver services especially to the poor. The ADTA on NWFP Rural Development Strategy (2000) and the planned FATA Rural Development (2003) loan, with the PPTAs on Punjab Barani Phase III (2002) and Balochistan Rural Poverty Reduction (2003) projects are expected to have significant gender focus.

83. There are a number of governance dimensions to gender goals that will be considered to ensure that gender issues are appropriately covered in programming and strategy development in Pakistan. For example, apparent gender neutrality of governance structures will be carefully examined to ensure gender equitable outcomes; the forms in which women organize and issues around which they mobilize will be recognized as important political processes. A gender perspective will be incorporated into governance analysis to cut across and link all social domains.

____________________

Back D. Governance Dimensions of ADB Operations	Next F. Province Level Interventions