a framework for mainstreaming gender in policies and actions isabelle bleas world bank institute...
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A Framework for Mainstreaming Gender in Policies and Actions
Isabelle BleasWorld Bank [email protected]
MoscowNovember 29-30, 2005
Does equity and gender equality matter for development ?
Engendering Development – through Gender Equality in Rights, Resources and Voice
WB Policy Research Report, E.U. : gender equality is explicitly recognized as essential to achieving poverty reduction. Strong correlation btw. Income & low(er) G inequality
Cross-country and country-specific evidence: G inequality hinders economic growth and has a heavy cost on families and nations.
Cost on people’s lives and decrease of well being Cost on productivity, efficiency and economic
progress Weaker governance
Gender discrimination explains inequality
Brazil: G discrimination explains 5% of inequality
Tunisia: F-headed households are less poor than M-headed households. Due to deliberate policy of empowering women and making school compulsory for boys and girls… so same opportunities
Gender equality increases education, health, and thus productivity of the next generation
In India, children of literate mothers spend two more hours/day studying than children of illiterate mothers (Behrman et al., 1999).
In Guatemala and Nigeria, educated mothers are more likely to adopt health-seeking behaviors, such as immunization (Pebley, et al. 1996; Gage, et al, 1997)
In Brazil, income in the hands of mothers has four times the impact on children’s height-for-age as income in the hands of fathers (Thomas, 1990)
If women and men had more equal schooling, incomes would have grown faster
0
1
2
3
4
Sub-Saharan Africa
South Asia Middle East/North Africa
Ave
rage
ann
ual g
row
th in
per
cap
ita G
NP
, 196
0-19
92
(per
cent
)
Actual
Predicted
Klasen, 2002
Where women and men have more equal rights, governments are less corrupt
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
4 4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 7
Women's economic and social rights
Inde
x of
cor
rupt
ion
Equity is vital to achieve economic growth
Pro-Poor Growth: Evidence that growth and equality are effective in reducing poverty
Studies highlighting several broad policy options to help poor households take advantage of nonagricultural and urban employment opportunities. They include improving the investment climate; expanding access to secondary education; enhancing access of girls to all levels of education; designing labor market regulations to create more formal employment for poor workers; strengthening property rights to improve land access; and improving access to infrastructure.
Francisco Ferreira, co-director of the WDR
WDR 2006 “Equity and Development”
When a large share of the population is excluded from the main opportunities in development (education, investment, property rights; they don’t even have the same political influence and the ability to influence their governments), then “A lot of human productive potential of society goes to waste”
WDR 2006 main messages
High levels of economic and political inequality lead to economic institutions and social systems that systematically favor the elite – those with more influence.
It undermines a country’s potential for growth and its ability to reduce poverty.
Inequitable institutions impose economic costs Equity is a fundamental part of the package needed to
achieve empowerment and a better investment climate. It is also essential to achieving the Millennium Development Goals
Is there Gender Equality ?
Gender equality has tended to increase over time, except in political participation
Middle Income Countries
1970 1980 1990 1995
High Income Countries
1970 1980 1990 1995
Low Income Countries
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1970 1980 1990 1995
Fem
ale/
mal
e ra
tio
Life expectancy
Primary enrollment
Secondary enrollment
Parliamentary representation
Women are vastly underrepresented in parliaments
0
5
10
15
20
25
Wo
men
's s
har
e o
f p
arlia
men
tary
sea
ts, 1
995
(per
cen
t)
East Asia/ Pacific
Europe/ Central Asia
Latin America/ Caribbean
Middle East/ North Africa
South Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa
OECD
CGA Russian Federation
Country Gender Assessment (2004-2005) shows differential access to economic and productive resources, and to political participation.
Declining ratio of women business administrators; of professional advancement
Increasing stress on both M and F, and violence
Gender issues in the Region 1.
While world-wide women have suffered from gender inequality, in the ECA region both men and women have paid a price
Some measure of equality in schools, but significant barriers in economic opportunities, political participation, access to, and control over resources:
– 1985: 25% women in Parliament– 1990: dropped to 7%– 1990-2004: seats declined from 36 to 5%
Armenia, 29 to 6% Albania
World Bank study “Gender in Transition”, by Pierella Paci
Gender issues in the Region 2.
Gender gap in employment opportunities:
With the privatization of state owned industries, women are finding it harder to find formal employment.
Barriers in access to land and credit In some countries, women have benefited from micro-credit programs (Tajikistan National Social Investment Fund)
The privatization of state-owned land has placed most property in the hands of men.
The gender gap is particularly evident in the rural areas.
World Bank Study "Gender in transition", by Pierella Paci
Gender issues in the Region 3.
Loss of special benefits for women, increasing their risk of poverty
Violence & human trafficking: 25% worldwide (175,000 persons).
Lax law enforcement and corruption have contributed to the growth of trafficking
Policy approaches to promoting gender equality and
development
A framework to promote G equality
A three-part strategy:1. Reform Institutions (legal, economic) to
provide equal rights and opportunities2. Foster economic development to strengthen
incentives for more equal resources3. Take measures to redress inequalities in
command over resources and political participation
A framework to promote G equality
A three-part strategy:1. Reform Institutions (legal, economic) to
provide equal rights and opportunities2. Foster economic development to
strengthen incentives for more equal resources
3. Take measures to redress inequalities in command over resources and political participation
Reforming Institutions
Institutions consist of formal and informal rules which influence the level of transaction costs, which in turn highly influence the rate of growth. Effective institutions reduce transaction costs and encourage socially productive activities and vice versa.
We can ask of these institutions: Are they gendered?
If they are not, then transactions costs will be institutionally different for men and women
And there will be inefficiency
Establishing Equal Rights and Protection under the Law
Family Law Protection against violence Land Rights (property,
ownership) Labor Law Political rights
But reform is not enough: capacity and commitment to implement legal reforms
Law: part of broader institutional environment
And further problem: in many countries, responsibility for gender policy usually rests with marginalized cabinet positions
A framework to promote G equality
A three-part strategy:
1. Reform Institutions (legal, economic) to provide equal rights and opportunities
2. Foster economic development to strengthen incentives for more equal resources
3. Take measures to redress inequalities in command over resources and political participation
Fostering Economic Development
Increase in productivity Creation of new work opportunities Reduction of gender disparities
– Incomes raise– Poverty decreases
Ability to respond to incentives
Control of land – land and other ownership rights
Control of capital – do men and women have equal control of household and other assets?
Control of labor: do women (and especially young women) fully control their labor?
A framework to promote G equality
A three-part strategy:
1. Reform Institutions (legal, economic) to provide equal rights and opportunities
2. Foster economic development to strengthen incentives for more equal resources
3. Take measures to redress inequalities in command over resources and political participation
Conditions necessary for competitive markets
To have sufficient, equal access to information in order to operate effectively in the public sphere of markets
To have sufficient, equal freedom to act on this information
This includes equal control of resources, and access to resources
There is a critical role for active measures that
Increase access to resources and services
Reduce the costs to women of their household roles
Establish gender-appropriate social protection
Strengthen political voice and participation
Participating in the Labor Force
Availability of low-cost, out-of-home child care facilitates/increases participation in labor force and raises household income
A recent study in Russian Federation (Lokshin 2000) finds that subsidizing out-of-home care can be more effective than other approaches (wage subsidies) in attracting mothers in labor market
Investments in water and fuel infrastructure significantly reduce time on collection activities
Note: *Kasama and Dedougou are already within the 400m target.
Potential Average Annual Time Savings
0
200
400
600
Lusaka Rural (Zambia)
Kaya(Burkina Faso)
Mbale(Uganda)
Kasama*(Zambia)
Dedougou*(Burkina Faso)
An
nu
al t
ime
savi
ng
s (h
ou
rs p
er h
ou
seh
old
)
Potable water within 400m
Woodlots within 30 mins walk
Providing Gender-appropriate Social Protection
Means attention to both Men and Women In most of the world, women more vulnerable Emerging trend arguing for more attention to
male-specific issues But still need for women-specific pension
schemes. Look at Chile –next slide-
Pension income for average workers with incomplete primary education (female/male ratio in parenthesis)
(0.89)
(0.43)
(0.35)
(0.29)
(0.60)
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Female own pension (retire age 60)
Female own pension adjusted by MPG
Female own pension (retire age 65)
Female own or survivor's pension
Female own+survivor's pension
Male own pension
Pesos (thousands)
Female pension benefits as a proportion of male benefits
Design matters for gender equality in pension benefits
Overall Implications
Gender is an important analytical category at both the micro and macro levels
Implications: – Gender needs to be systematically integrated into
the analysis of economic problems– Gender must be integrated into the policy process
At the planning level At the budgetary decision level At the implementation level At the evaluation level
Taking gender considerations into account in policy and program design can promote gender equality …
… and enhance policy effectiveness.
Can we help?
Russia TA pilot on mainstreaming Gender in the delivery of social services