Bangladesh

Country Gender Assessment

2010

Gender Specialists’ Annual Consultation Workshop

26-28 October, ADB HQ, Manila
Ferdousi Sultana
The views expressed in this paper are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian
Development Bank (ADB), or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of
the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The countries listed in this paper do
not imply any view on ADB's part as to sovereignty or independent status or necessarily conform to ADB's terminology.
Background

• Bangladesh CPS is to be prepared for 2011-2015

• Decisions regarding CGA:
* Prepare a new document – not an update
* Focus on ADB’s operational areas
* Prepare and publish as a knowledge product
* Prepare in time as input to the CPS
Key considerations for CGA

• A resource and tool for staff

• Useful for the others also
• Basis for gender mainstreaming in
Country Partnership Strategy and
ADB’s sectoral work
• Use
U iin th
the sectoral
t l road
d maps
Process followed
• Consultant hired – selected by BRM and
contracted by SARD
SARD.
• Consultant having extensive work experience
in gender and development in Bangladesh
• SARD GS’s support in planning and
implementation
• BRM GS as resource person and fully involved
• C
Consultation
lt ti with
ith EA
EAs/GoB,
/G B ddevelopment
l t
partners
• Use of 2009 gender consultation results
• Use of secondary data and information
Overview: Country Context in CGA –
Bangladesh developments

• Government policy and leadership on

gender equality-
g q y NAP,, Policy,
y, NSAPR II
• Advocacy and innovation by civil
societ organi
society organizations-
ations policy
polic influence
infl ence
• Actions by
y individual and households-
Changes in social norms, outlook etc.
• Role of executing agencies
Overview: ADB Context in CGA
CGA--
ADB
ADB’s
s Commitment to Gender Equality

• Strategy 2020-gender equity as one of

five drivers of change
• Target of 40% projects with “significant
gender mainstreaming
mainstreaming” by 2012
• Strengthening of tools and information
about effective approaches (CGA,
case studies, social assessment and
st dies)
studies)
Overview: Partners’
Inputs in CGA

• Executing
E ti agencies i are th
the kkey players
l –
identifying opportunities at the planning
stage
t andd following
f ll i th through
h iin
implementation is required

• Gender equality consultation of 2009

generated
t d useful
f l id
ideas th
thatt were
incorporated in the assessment report
Questions used in CGA
Consultations

• What would you advise ADB to focus on in

the next five years in order to promote
women’s advancement in yyour specific
p
sectoral intervention? (ADB staff, EA, CSO,
DP)
• Are there practical steps that you/your
project could take to better support your
projects and your organization in efforts to
promote
p o o e ge
gender
de equa
equality?
y ((EAs)s)
Challenges in content
presentation
• Deciding the target group
• Deciding
D idi an acceptable bl fformat not ffollowing
ll i theh
previous ones
p
• Comprehensive issue based or sector specific
p
• Contents of each sectoral chapter
• How to address specific gender aspects and
emerging
i iissues
• Capturing issues and entry points specially those
sectors that include multiple
p sub-sectors
• Addressing issues that are common for several
sectors
• How
H andd what
h t tto share
h with
ith EA
EAs, CSO
CSOs and d DP
DPs
Key Contents in Each
Sectoral Chapter

• Gender
G d equality
lit iissues off th
the sector
t iin ffocus
Education, urban development, energy, transport,
governance agriculture and rural development
governance, development, SME
• GoB’s policy and commitments related to the
sector
• ADB’s experience in integrating gender
equality in the sector
• Challenges and opportunities in the sector
• Gender entry points for consideration
Findings: ADB Bangladesh
Portfolio-- Strengths
Portfolio
• Program orientation provides good
opportunities for women’s involvement and
gender equality promotion in several sectors
(Education urban development
(Education, development, agriculture
and rural development, SME)
• Key partners are willing to try new ideas
• ADB invests in building partnerships and
capacity
p y
• Gender action plan- effective tool in project
design and implementation
• Building on lessons learned is critical
Findings: Challenges in Achieving
Gender Equality Results
• Little progress in several important sectors (energy,
(energy
transport, governance)
• Processes to strengthen ownership of Gender
Action Plans (GAPs) is long and require more
resources
• IInadequate
d t gender
d equality
lit resources ((att planning
l i
and implementation stages) to achieve gender
equality results
• Clarity is needed on gender-based changes/results
aimed for, as part of design and monitoring
• Lack of sex
sex--disaggregated baseline data
Findings: Challenges in Achieving
Gender Equality Results
• Setting targets are not always a strategic
approach and at times targets not followed
• Gender issues have not yet been integrated into
i tit ti
institutional
l capacity
it assessments
t d
done att the
th
planning stages including those done by
development partners and ADB
• Inadequate feedback from project monitoring on
progress and issues related to GAP
implementation
p e e tat o – uunderreporting
de epo t g
• Inability to capture results - Specific questions are
needed in assessing contributions to gender
equality & women’s empowerment
Recommendations on CGA

• Importance
po a ce oof CG
CGA – a docu
document
e not
o o
only
y for
o
CPS
• Ensure use of CGA by staff/consultants for
project design and PPTA
• Increase scope for gender integration in CPS
document
• Ensure Programming staff interact with GSs for
inputs
Recommendations on ADB
Operations
• Sectors securing major resources of ADB lagging
behind in gender mainstreaming- needs attention –
Not only by GSs
• Innovative thinking required for these sectors
• Selection of sectors/modalities and changing nature
of pipeline provides limited scope for gender inputs
• Understanding of gender issues in emerging
concerns need to be enhanced amongst staff
• Staff gender orientation especially mission leaders
• Ensure loan pipeline contains an appropriate mix of
loans in sectors providing opportunity for gender
mainstreaming
• Ensure exploring opportunities in all sectors/loans
CGA Follow up

• Shared with
ith PDs/DPs and willill be shared with
ith
others
• Finalized incorporating comments
• Published by SARD and planned launching
• Distributed
Di t ib t d amongstt projects
j t
• Will be distributed amongst development
partners – initial feed back very positive
CGA input to CPS Preparation
• CGA will be included in CPS regional
consultations
• CGA was shared with country team members
as inputs for sectoral road maps
• Under the streamlined business process - no
gender strategy attached to CPS
• Prepared initial 1 page and then 4 page
summary of CGA for CPS as a linked
d
documentt – to
t beb reviewed
i dbby peer reviewer
i
• While preparing the CPS (10 pages) - a few
sentences
t andd references
f to
t gender
d issues
i will
ill
be incorporated in relevant sections
Role of GS: CGA/CPS
• Fully involved in CGA design, process, content and
consultations
• Provide inputs to the CPS based on CGA
• Review sector road maps and integrate gender
aspects
• Interact with BRM Programming Section to ensure
meeting the requirements for gender inputs and
identifying the Peer Reviewer for GAD
• Dissemination and use of CGA
• Face challenges in ensuring quality of CGA and
gender input into the CPS– relevance of information,
presentation,, not to elaborate too much,, addressing
p g
emerging concerns, meeting requirements, deadlines
etc.
Thank you all
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