| The Quaterly e-Newsletter of the Gender Network | March 2009 | Vol. 3 No. 1 |
| TABLE OF CONTENTS |
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External Events
News
Gender Specialists' Corner
ADB Publications
Other Publications
Feedback & Subscriptions |
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IN THIS ISSUE
In 2008, ADB held various events on gender equality and women's empowerment. This GNN highlights the following ADB events:
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ADB EVENTS
President Kuroda Expresses ADB's Commitment to Gender Equality
 The President yesterday accepted the MDG3 torch* from Alternate Executive Director Torben Bellers, representing the Government of Denmark, in a ceremony in HQ. President Kuroda cited ADB's additional commitments to achieving the Millennium Development Goal on gender equality and women's empowerment by 2015. Read the President's and Mr. Bellers' speeches, and the news release.
Gender and Health Communities of Practice Joint Seminar: Investment case for maternal newborn and child health in Asia and the Pacific
 Regional and Sustainable Development Department's Ian Anderson made a presentation on how ADB is supporting an investment case for maternal, newborn, and child health, including the investment criteria for best returns and improving equity.
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9th Meeting of the External Forum on Gender
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The External Forum on Gender and Development (EFG) of ADB held its 9th session at ADB Headquarters from 15-17 October 2008. The EFG had productive meetings with Vice Presidents Zhao and Greenwood, Managing Director General Nag, Director Generals of East Asia, Pacific, South Asia and Central/West Asia Departments, directors of the Regional Departments, the Human Resources Division (BPHR) and the Gender, Social Development and Civil Society Division (RSGS) on how to attain the goals set under Strategy 2020 by collaboratively implementing the Agency's Gender Plan of Action. The EFG also met with members of the Gender and Social Development Committee of the Communities of Practice and the Professional Women's Committee to hear broader staff perspectives. In addition, gender specialist consultants from ADB's resident missions in Indonesia and Nepal briefed the EFG on current challenges and achievements in gender mainstreaming in country partnership strategies and loan projects. To inform ADB staff about regional activities supporting gender equality and women's empowerment, the EFG conducted a seminar with a presentation on UNESCAP activities to establish a regional coordination mechanism for gender equality work among UN agencies and a case study on the Japanese experience with "Financing for Gender Equality and The Empowerment of Women".
The EFG members appreciated the opportunity to discuss with senior management and staff the declining percentages in the past four years of ADB projects with significant gender mainstreaming and the trends in the gender balance of ADB's professional and managerial staff. In this context, the EFG commended ADB for adopting Strategy 2020 and its new Results Framework that provide real incentives for ADB staff at all levels to reverse these trends and report on gender-inclusive results. The 40% target set for the proportion of all ADB projects with significant gender mainstreaming and the 50% target for those with ADF X funding by 2012 reflect ADB's commitment to making gender equity a strategic focus in its operations. Similarly, the 35% target set for representation of women professional staff and 25% target set for the promotion of professional women by 2012 demonstrate ADB's commitment to make a renewed effort to improve the gender balance among its professional staff and managerial pool.
The observations and recommendations of the EFG's 9th session are summarized in an Outcome Document. The EFG concluded that while Strategy 2020 includes "Gender Equity" as one of the drivers of change, the achievement of gender equality objectives and outcomes in ADB's work will still be challenging given its changing sector focus and lending modalities. However, the EFG is encouraged by the current positive context and the accountability mechanism established through the ADB Results Framework and the GAD Plan of Action (2008-2010) to achieve improved results in the future.
To achieve Strategy 2020's expected gender-based results, the EFG recommended that ADB raise awareness of government agencies in partnership with national machineries through policy dialogue on existing gender disparities which pose obstacles to poverty reduction; expand its good practices in gender mainstreaming in rural infrastructure, water supply and sanitation, agriculture, water resources management, governance, health and education sectors across the region while improving its technical capacity to address gender issues in hard sectors such as large infrastructure and climate change; improve methods of measuring gender-related impact in project and program lending; increase the number of its dedicated gender specialists in resident missions and appoint a gender specialist for each regional department; enhance the gender analysis and mainstreaming capacity of ADB staff and executing agencies through knowledge sharing and lateral learning events on good practices; and, develop an organogram to identify the Bank's institutional gender structure and related responsibilities to implement the GAD Plan of Action (2008-2010). expand its outreach to identify women professionals suitable for ADB's positions in order to increase female recruitment rates, and to continue to make improvements in its work environment and in the promotion of female professionals to managerial levels.
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Gender Specialists' Workshop
The annual ADB Resident Mission Gender Specialists' Consultation Workshop was held 20-24 October at ADB Headquarters (HQ). The Workshop started with a stocktaking of Gender and Development (GAD) policy implementation progress and lessons learned over the past decade. With this background and a briefing on Strategy 2020, the Gender Specialists discussed the priorities of the GAD Plan of Action (2008-2010) and the challenges and opportunities for improving ADB's performance on gender mainstreaming across sectors and regions.
Special sessions were held on (i) ADB's Project Performance Monitoring System (PPMS) and how to integrate gender into the Design Process and the Design and Monitoring Framework; (ii) strategic use of select ADB trust funds including the GAD Fund, Water Facility, Clean Energy Financing Partnership Facility, Climate Change Fund, and the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction to support gender mainstreaming activities; (iii) a dialogue with Country Directors from Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on the significant factors that lead to the institutionalization of gender mainstreaming in country portfolios; (iv) a discussion on two regional cooperation RETAs focusing on women's entrepreneurship in Central Asia and human trafficking in the Mekong region; and (v) orientation of new Gender Specialists from Cambodia, Papua New Guinea and Pakistan on ADB design and implementation procedures and key entry points for addressing gender issues in project design, implementation and monitoring.
Case study presentations by Gender Specialists highlighted good practices in loan implementation demonstrating how to overcome shortfalls in GAP designs and challenges with gender capacity development. GAP implementation results leading to gender equality and women's empowerment were shared from the Bangladesh: Participatory Livestock Development II Project, Bangladesh: Primary Education Sector Development Program, Nepal: Community Based Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project, Sri Lanka: Tsunami Affected Areas Reconstruction Project/North East Coastal Community Development Project; and the Indonesia: Neighborhood Upgrading and Shelter Sector Project.
Finally, a technical session was held on "Gender in Intensifying Global Challenges: Climate Change and the Food Crisis" presented by Dr. Ines Smyth from Oxfam, U.K. Gender Specialists devoted their last day of the week to meetings with HQ staff to network and plan for collaboration on upcoming country-based project and program-related work, regional initiatives as well as holding individual sessions with RSGS on 2009 work programs.
Mainstreaming Gender Equality in Infrastructure Projects: Asia and Pacific Regional Meeting
 Organized by ADB and World Bank, and cosponsored by the Multilateral Development Bank Working Group on Gender, the meeting shared lessons in addressing gender concerns in the energy, transport, water supply, infrastructure, and ICT sectors.
Seminar on Gender-Responsive Governance: The Cambodia Experience
 On 9 December 2008, H.E. Dr. Ing Kantha Phavi, Cambodia's Minister of Women's Affairs shared her views on key gender and governance issues in Cambodia and the challenges and opportunities in promoting the agenda, particularly in relation to women's participation in decision making and budgeting process. The seminar was organized by the Gender and Social Development Community of Practice.
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EXTERNAL EVENTS
Center for Asia Pacific Women in Politics (CAPWIP) and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (UN-ISDR): Third Global Congress of Women in Politics and Governance
For more information, visit the website*.
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NEWS
RP labor force not gender-friendly*, Business Mirror (Philippines), 5 February 2009
Gender Aspects of Climate Change*, The Daily Star, 11 December 2008
In poverty and strife, women test limits*, The New York Times, 5 October 2008
Quotas: Women rising*, Economist, 18 September 2008
There is no respect for women's health, and feelings*, Scoop, 11 September 2008
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Gender and HIV/AIDS Bulletin , 25 August 2008
Why water rights are women's rights*, AlertNet, 5 August 2008
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Gender Specialists' Corner
Bangladesh: Study on Gender and Participatory Livestock Development Project II
The Second Participatory Livestock Development Project (PLDP II) is in its 4th year of implementation. It is a six-year poverty alleviation project worth US $ 20.00 million, funded by ADB. The principal objective of the project is to reduce poverty of the rural poor by 20% at the end of the project period. The project will be completed in June 2010. Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) and Directorate of Livestock Services (DLS) are the two executing agencies of the project. The major components of the project are community mobilization, livestock enterprise development through micro-finance operation, marketing, community livestock extension and capacity development-skills training. Fifteen NGO partner organizations are implementing the components of group formation, group development, micro-finance for enterprise development and linking beneficiaries with extension services.
The specific gender integration tools of the PLDP II are: (i) project policy towards giving priority to female heads of households in accessing resources – training, extension services, credit; and (ii) project gender action plan.
The Study has endeavored to assess the empowerment status of PLDP II beneficiaries from gender dimension – gender roles, responsibilities, relationship and women's socio-economic empowerment in the family and the community. To become self-reliant, accumulate savings and gaining status in the family were the three motivating factors for women to participate in PLDP II. The Project has been able to keep definite contributions in terms of enabling women to be the contributors to family income. Household income has increased by 29%, families are now food secured and women status is more noticeable in decision making in enterprise operations. Gender relations improved in terms of women getting cooperation from husband and in-laws in managing household activities as women are now more involved in directly productive activities. There has been an increase in family resources in the name of the wives. Women's improved family status is reflected through increased and better husband wife communication and consultation about household and community affairs. PLDP II is taking special initiative in sustaining the grass roots level beneficiary groups by enhancing capacity of the groups to manage group activities by themselves. PLDP II is also putting emphasis on establishing linkages with national level enterprises in order to ensure product marketing and up-scale the existing enterprises solely managed by women.
Bangladesh: Capacity Development on Gender and Integrated Water Resources Management
The training course on Gender and Integrated Water Resources Management was organized through a series of focus group discussions with senior and project related implementation officers of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB). The objective of the course was to improve capacity of the officers to promote gender sensitive identification, designing, implementation, management and monitoring of water sector projects for poverty reduction. The specific learning objectives were to enhance participants' understanding of (i) gender concepts in relation to water sector project, (ii) mainstreaming gender in program and project cycles; (iii) participatory water management guidelines; (iv) gender equity strategy and related action plans; (v) Gender and Development Action Plan of water sector projects. Total 72 BWDB junior and mid level officers participated in the trainings in three batches from July - August 2008. Participants were introduced to gender concepts, gender analysis and gender mainstreaming tools. Bangladesh's national and international commitments towards water sector development (Beijing PFA, National Water Policy, MDGs, PRSP, and National Policy for Advancement of Women) were discussed. Most of the sessions were conducted by BWDB in-house trainers. Participants engaged in discussions on specific projects and relevant gender issues. Particularly, they recommended systematic inclusion of the project-specific gender action plans in government's development project proposals so that specific gender issues can be addressed from the very start of development interventions. The trainings received support from the BWDB management and Director General.
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Pakistan Country Gender Assessment, September 2008
This report provides an overview of gender issues in areas relevant to ADB operations in Pakistan. It explores progress in gender equality and persisting barriers to women's full contribution to development goals and how ADB operations under the Country Partnership Strategy 2008-2012 can contribute.
Philippines Country Gender Assessment, December 2008
The report says that the country has shown improvements in gender equality and women's empowerment, but still has social issues requiring attention - the poor conditions for domestic workers, human trafficking, and unmet reproductive health needs. ADB led the report's preparation.
Sri Lanka Country Gender Assessment, December 2008
The Sri Lanka Country Gender Assessment updates information contained in the 2004 Country Gender Assessment published by ADB. It comprises four chapters that examine the gender gaps in various sectors of Sri Lankan society. In particular, it defines modes through which ADB is committed to support the government and civil society in their effort to promote a gendered approach to economic growth, poverty reduction, and reconstruction in areas affected by the armed conflict and the 2004 tsunami.
Legal Empowerment for Women and Disadvantaged Groups, January 2009
This publication is the product of a three-country ADB regional technical assistance initiative on Legal Empowerment for Women and Disadvantaged Groups. It reflects the extensive conceptual design, research, and pilot project contributions of a team of legal empowerment specialists and nongovernment organization (NGO) legal service providers convened by The Asia Foundation, which implemented the project with support from ADB.
Gender Differences in Remittance Behavior: Evidence from Viet Nam, February 2009
In this paper, authors Yoko Niimi and Barry Reilly examine the role of gender in remittance behavior among migrants using data drawn from the Viet Nam migration survey.
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Global Fund Fact Sheet Series , 1 March 2008
HIV/AIDS and Women: A Collection of Resources to Support Policy and Advocacy on HIV/AIDS 2008*, 11 June 2008
Comprising some 50 action-oriented tools as well as analyses, reports, and case studies, this resource pack was assembled to support informed participation on issues of women and HIV/AIDS. Included in the pack is a list of free resources culled from organisations working on gender and HIV/AIDS, as well as selected relevant books available for purchase.
Living Female in Afghanistan , July 2008
The paper explores Afghan women's attitudes and tangible experiences exercising their rights afforded by the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Findings include discussions of variations in women's experiences by region and socio-economic status in Afghanistan. by Karl Feld, Veronica Gardner, D3 Systems & Sweeta Hashimi, ACSOR-Surveys.
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About This Newsletter The Gender Network e-Newsletter is an electronic bulletin for professionals, researchers, civil society, academics, and their counterparts in the donor community who are interested in gender issues. It is published 4 times per year and offers information about events, conferences, training opportunities and activities at ADB Headquarters and resident missions. Special issues will also be published on gender specific topics.
Disclaimer The Asian Development Bank provides the information contained in this newsletter and links to its web site solely as a resource. While ADB tries to provide high-quality content on its web site, it does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of this information; and therefore, will not be liable in any capacity for damages or losses to the user that may result from the use of this information. ADB and its affiliate offices, likewise, will not be responsible for any errors, omissions, or inadvertent alterations that may occur in the disclosure of content in this newsletter or on its web site.
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