Catalog

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p. 10 of 20 BACK | NEXT Executive summary Introduction Gender and development issues in the Asian and Pacific region Overview of Bank policy and operations on WID (1985-1996) The need for a revised policy on gender and development From WID to GAD Experience of the World Bank and other agencies Experience of DMC governments International agenda for women The Bank’s revised policy on gender and development

Policy on Gender and Development : The need for a revised policy on gender and development

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B. Experience of the World Bank and other agencies

54. In response to the rethinking on WID concerns, following the experience and evaluation of earlier approaches in the 1980s, both multilateral and bilateral agencies revised their earlier WID policies and adopted a broader GAD approach to reflect the revised thinking on this issue.

World Bank policy

55. The WB in 1994 revised its earlier WID policy that tended to treat women as a special target group of beneficiaries in projects and programs, and replaced it with a new GAD policy²⁸. The revised framework is broader, reflecting the ways in which the relations between men and women constrain or advance efforts to boost economic growth and reduce poverty. WB’s GAD policy is based on the recognition that “investing in women is central to sustainable development” and refers to its own studies indicating strong economic arguments for investing in women.

56. The policy states that gender issues will be integrated into the mainstream of WB activities in all country assistance strategies, and the design and implementation of the lending program, including adjustment operations. It further states that its economic and sector work, TA, and participation in international initiatives will aim at promoting gender-sensitive policies and programs. The policy includes a commitment that future analytical work will focus on gender differentiation and the factors underlying the structure of gender relations within the household, and will derive best practices for addressing gender disparities.

57. WB’s policy states that gender-targeted assistance will focus on five main operational strategies for improving women’s status and productivity:

1. expanding enrollment of girls in schools,

2. improving women’s health,

3. increasing women’s participation in the labor force,

4. expanding women’s options in agriculture, and

5. providing financial services to women.

Combined with this, support will be provided to governments to

1. develop gender-sensitive policies and programs,

2. modify legal and regulatory frameworks preventing women from participating in economic development,

3. build institutional capacity to implement programs for advancing women’s status,

4. strengthen the database for gender analysis, and

5. mobilize resources for addressing gender disparities.

58. To facilitate the implementation of its GAD policy and ensure appropriate consultation with civil society, WB has established an external Advisory Group on Gender consisting of key women from the community who provide advice and guidance on gender issues. In addition, an External Group on Gender made up of 14 NGOs (two from each of WB’s seven regions) meets annually; it has established a dialogue on WB’s gender activities.

59. WB’s institutional structure to address gender issues and facilitate the implementation of its operational policy include (i) a senior adviser on gender equality located in the Human Resources Vice Presidency, which is WB’s focal point for in-house gender issues; (ii) a Gender Analysis and Policy Unit in the Human Capital Development Vice Presidency, comprising six permanent staff and five long-term consultants, which has responsibility for policy issues and helps WB define and implement its gender policies, conduct research, and provide some operational support to the regional vice presidencies; (iii) a Gender and Poverty Team in the Human Resources Division of the Asia Technical Department, comprising three permanent staff and four long-term consultants, which provides gender support to the region through research and operational support; (iv) four gender technical specialists in four resident missions (Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan) to assist with the implementation of projects aimed directly at reducing gender disparities, and to liaise with government and bilateral and multilateral aid agencies on gender issues; (v) a few gender technical specialists located in the various regional operational and technical departments who do not necessarily work exclusively on gender issues; and (vi) departmental gender coordinators who facilitate and monitor gender activities within their respective departments along with their other activities.

The Inter-American Development Bank

60. The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)’s operational WID policy²⁹ defines its WID operational objectives as

1. recognizing and enhancing women’s actual and potential role in productive and social activities, and their contribution to the national development process;

2. facilitating women’s access to productive resources, services, and to social and economic benefits derived from IADB operations;

3. reducing social, legal, and economic constraints that depress women’s ability to effectively participate in and benefit from productive and other development-oriented programs; and

4. improving the effectiveness of institutions responsible for fostering the social and economic participation of women in the development process.

61. Areas targeted for special emphasis in implementing the IADB policy are activities for the improvement of employment opportunities, education, training, extension, and credit for women; technical cooperation for institution-building aimed at improving the status and legal position of women; violence against women; and research and studies on the participation of women.

62. To facilitate implementation of its policy, IADB has a central WID/ Gender Unit located in the Social Program and Sustainable Development Department consisting of one chief, three regular staff, and five long-term consultants. At the Beijing World Conference on Women, IADB announced that it would be establishing a special fund for women’s leadership and representation that would finance programs of leadership training and capacity building for NGOs.

63. Like WB, IADB has also established a Gender Advisory Council that meets annually and consists of academics, researchers, and key women from civil society who provide guidance and advice on gender issues. IADB also is in the process of undertaking an evaluation of its WID program and activities.

Bilateral aid agencies

64. The transition from a WID to a GAD approach was pioneered and initially adopted by many of the bilateral aid agencies, especially the Nordic countries. They were the first to overtly adopt and put in place GAD policies to promote gender equity. Most of the bilateral funders recognized the limitations of the WID approach and made the transition to GAD in the early 1990s.

65. Mainstreaming is the essence of most bilateral aid GAD policies, with a focus on promoting gender equity through development assistance. Gender analysis is deemed mandatory for all projects, and efforts are placed on integrating gender considerations into their overall development assistance programs. Special design features are built into projects to facilitate women’s participation through the increased use of GAD specialists in project design and implementation. Bilateral aid GAD policies also emphasize increased gender sensitization and gender skills development training for staff and consultants. With a view to enhancing the mainstreaming of women’s interests, some bilaterals such as the Danish International Development Assistance (Danida) have devised mechanisms for establishing quotas, earmarking funds for women, and developing sector checklists.

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