Gender and Development

Bangladesh

Though Bangladesh is predominantly a rural country, the rapid urbanization in the past decade has contributed to the growing share of the urban sector in economic growth and to a notable increase in urban poverty and inadequate provision of basic services. The urban poor need access to employment opportunities, water supply and sanitation facilities, sewerage system, housing, and solid waste management. The capacity of the central and local government bodies is limited to meet these needs leading to unhealthy living conditions and slow economic growth. To reduce urban poverty, ADB has supported Government programs for infrastructure development in 32 secondary towns but the institutional capacity of the municipalities in urban management has been limited. Based on lessons learned, the Urban Governance and Infrastructure Improvement Project was designed with a performance-based approach emphasizing capacity building of the municipalities on participatory and poverty focused urban governance. The Project has been classified as a poverty intervention project with gender and development (GAD) and good governance themes.

Objectives and Scope

The Urban Governance and Infrastructure Improvement Project was approved on 28 November 2002 for $60 million, it aimed to promote human development and good urban governance in the secondary towns of Bangladesh. The integrated approach combines development and expansion of physical infrastructure and urban services with enhanced capacity and accountability in municipal management. The participating 22 municipalities are accountable for their performance in implementing the Urban Governance Improvement Action Program (UGIAP) which aims to enhance the awareness and participation of the local stakeholders in urban planning and management and to improve accountability and transparency. Municipalities’ access to additional infrastructure development funds depends on their performance against the UGIAP criteria. Poverty reduction has been made a strategic objective under each project component in order to maximize economic opportunities, such as, employment during construction, developing skills and micro credit opportunities for income generation, and making basic services available in deprived areas. The key components of the Project are:

1. Urban Infrastructure Improvement: Improvement and expansion of municipal infrastructure facilities including roads and bridges, storm water drainage, solid waste management, low cost sanitation, slum improvement, water supply schemes, markets as well as bus and truck terminals.



2. Urban Governance Improvement: Implementation of an action program (UGIAP) focusing on five areas:
1. citizens’ awareness and participation
2. women’s participation
3. integration of the urban poor
4. financial accountability and sustainability
5. administrative transparency


3. Capacity Building and Implementation Assistance: Support for engineering design, construction supervision, NGO support for community-based activities, institutional capacity building for the implementation of the UGIAP, computerization of tax records and billing, training for urban governance improvement; and assistance to implement the slum improvement activities.

Framework for Gender and Development Activities

The Government of Bangladesh has established a provision to elect female ward commissioners (FWC) for reserved seats in municipalities. However, most municipal leaders including women leaders are new and not well informed of participatory development and gender mainstreaming. Despite women’s election, only a few FWCs participate in the decision-making process of municipalities. Lack of training prevents them from taking a proactive role in municipal activities and decisions. Responsibilities assigned to FWCs through the Government’s administrative order are often not known to them or beyond their capabilities. The Commissioners of regular seats due to ignorance or fear of losing their own territory also do not support FWCs in taking an effective role. Similarly, a role of female citizens as service receivers and responsible citizens is also not well conceived by the municipalities. The Project will address women’s concerns and contribute towards women’s empowerment by

• ensuring gender issues are addressed in all project components
• increasing women’s participation in municipal planning and governance
• improving women’s access to and benefit from project resources

Gender-Inclusive Design

During the design of the Project, a gender action plan (GAP) was developed to promote the participation of women at two levels:

• elected FWC’s role in municipal governance and in addressing women’s needs
• women citizens’ awareness and participation in urban planning and municipal management and as service receivers

The Project GAP is built on specific activities designed within the framework of the UGIAP agenda to enhance women’s participation:

1. Infrastructure:
• ensure women’s access to urban infrastructure (markets, bus terminals, water and sanitation facilities) through gender sensitive designs
• women’s participation in infrastructure construction, management and maintenance
• promotion of wage parity between men and women in construction, operation and maintenance of infrastructure


2. Urban Governance:
• delineate responsibilities between male and female ward commissioners
• involve FWCs and citizens in various committees, such as town level coordination committees
• assign FWCs as committee chairs, such as the gender and environment committee
• involve FWCs and citizens in tax collection and budget preparation


3. Environment and Health:
• increase women’s participation and awareness through periodic campaigns and orientation on solid waste management, environment, sanitation and hygiene
• promote women’s participation in sanitation programs


4. Poverty Reduction and Slum Development:
• include poor women in slum development committees as leaders
• provide microfinance and skills training for women for income generation
• provide health services for women and children


5. Capacity Building and Implementation Assistance:
• engage women as staff, consultants and facilitators
• provide orientation for the project executing agency, Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), municipal officials and ward commissioners on the Project GAP
• promote networking of FWCs
• improve the capacities of executing agencies and project implementing units to collect gender-disaggregated data and establish gender-based monitoring, evaluation and reporting under the project

Guidance on Gender and Development Activities

As a member of the Project design team, the ADB Bangladesh National Gender Officer assisted in the development of a Project GAP. GAD and Social Development Specialists have been recruited as members of consultant teams responsible for project implementation and monitoring. The Bangladesh National Gender Officer continues to support LGED by ensuring the proper implementation and monitoring of the Project GAP which is covenanted under the loan agreement.

Achievements

By 2006, the Project has enhanced women’s participation in urban governance through the following achievements of its GAD objectives:

1. Development of a gender-inclusive UGIAP and municipality vision statements
2. Recruitment of project GAD specialist and facilitators, and social development specialist
3. 9 women panel chairs, 179 female staff recruits
4. Establishment of gender and environment committees in 22 municipalities
5. Participation of women in town level committees and FWCs in tender evaluation committees
6. Improvement in FWC leadership as they now chair 43% of all standing committees and have led 460 yard meetings and rallies
7. GAD training and GAP orientation provided to the LGED, municipal officials and ward commissioners
8. Development of GAD indicators and inclusion of gender-disaggregated data in project monitoring and reporting