Gender and Development

Regional

Regional Technical Assistance (RETA 6008) on Gender and Governance Issues in the Local Government

Coverage

South Asia (Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan)

Cost

$600,000

Duration

18 months

Rationale

Recent introduction of the reservation quotas for women in the three selected countries (Bangladesh- 30% of Union Parishad seats; Nepal- 20% representation in the VDC; and Pakistan- 1/3 of the total seats) provided an increase in the representation of women in local elected positions. In Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan, local level government is responsible for planning and implementing development projects and for resolving local level disputes through locally constituted arbitration committees.

However, since the participation of women in the local bodies is a recent initiative, little has been done to build their capacity to perform their responsibility more effectively.

Objective

The primary objective of the TA is to build capacity of grassroots level women leaders in local governments and to promote more efficient and transparent public service delivery.

It also aims to promote and facilitate the linkages between gender, poverty reduction, and good governance in local government, and to identify regional gender and governance issues in the context of local government for policy makers.

Components

1. Policy and Operational Support
• review of the Local Government Act, structure and operational mechanism for the lowest tier (Union Parishad/Union Council/VCD)
• identify gaps between the Act and its implementation within the context of the current roles and functions of female representatives.
• identify operational issues and recommendations for modification of the policy to support the role and responsibilities allocated to female representatives.
• develop and prepare relevant operational manuals, guidelines and terms of reference on the roles and responsibilities of elected female representatives in the local bodies.


2. Support Network and Linkage with National Governance
• facilitate development of a forum of elected female representative at the local level to serve as advocacy/lobby groups
• develop operational framework for interface between the forum and the national level elected women leaders
• establish linkages between elected women's forum and the sectoral agencies implementing local level development programs


3. Capacity Building of Female Representatives
• capacity building training of the elected/selected female representatives in the local administrative bodies on a pilot basis in four selected districts in the 3 DMCs
• capacity building training will be provided on
1. clarification of their term of reference
2. familiarization with the Local Government Act and other regulations
3. planning of community development, and
4. dispute resolution.


4. Regional Study and Workshop
• prepare a gender and governance study
• hold a regional workshop

Implementation

The focal agencies for this TA will be the ministries of local government in the three DMCs will be the Focal Agencies. The ministries of local government and rural development in Bangladesh and Pakistan, and the Ministry of Local Development for Nepal.

Domestic NGOs will be the implementing agencies-two per DMC-conduct policy and advocacy work and field work (baseline studies, preparing profiles of elected female representatives in local bodies) conducting capacity building training

One international consultant will be responsible for coordinating the activities under this RETA and preparing operations manual and training materials, and the regional study on gender and governance at the local level