Gender Mainstreaming in Rural Connectivity Investment Program

Presentation by Meenakshi Ajmera 25 May 2012

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.

Introduction
Poor road infrastructure affects economic growth in rural areas, agricultural productivity, employment, and has a strong link to poverty. Absence of all-weather road connectivity is the most urgent problem making rural communities inaccessible for up to 90 days a year.

 ADB-funded MFF that aims to construct allweather standard rural roads of about 9,000 km RCIP will connect around 4,200 habitations in the states of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, and West Bengal (RCIP states) RCIP states have large rural population lacking all-weather road connectivity and have among the highest poverty headcount rates

Rural Connectivity Investment Program (RCIP)

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)

A nationwide rural road investment program aiming to provide all-weather road connectivity to currently unconnected eligible habitations in Indias rural areas RCIP will support the governments objectives under PMGSY for the RCIP states

RCIP MFF
Government of India requested an MFF up to $800 million from OCR for construction of rural roads MFF will consist of 4 tranches Project 1 is estimated at $341 million equivalent

RCIP Impact and Outcome

Long-term impact will be reduction in poverty and deprivation and inclusive economic growth

RCIP Impact and Outcome

Immediate outcome will be improved and sustainable connectivity of rural communities in RCIP states to markets, district headquarters, and other centers of economic activity

CDTA for Institutional Development for Roads Asset Management

CDTA to be supported by RCIP Establishment of Rural Road Network Management Units (RRNMU) for effective and high-quality life cycle rural road network management with emphasis on performancebased maintenance of created assets Establishment of Rural Connectivity Training and Research Centers (RCTRCs)

RRNMUs and RCTRCs

Support will include construction of modern facilities with state-of-the-art equipment, systems and tools Consulting services will include developing training modules, assisting in research and compiling of best practices and experiences in rural roads, supporting RCTRC operations, and rolling out large-scale rural roadsoriented training 6 RRNMUs and 1 RCTRC will be established in each RCIP state

 RCIP states are still poor in terms of various development indicators despite improvements in the last decade People living below poverty line (20042005 estimates):
5.57 million in Assam 9.10 million in Chhattisgarh 24.97 milliion in Madhya Pradesh 17.85 million in Orissa 20.84 million in West Bengal

Gender Analysis
Collection of sex-disaggregated data on a range of socioeconomic indicators Highlighted several key benefits which the RCIP all-weather roads will bring
Increased rate of safe child deliveries Reduction in the maternal and pre-natal deaths and mortality of children Increase of enrollment of girls in schools and universities

Gender Action Plan

Gender mainstreaming targets:
(i) Participation of not less than 40% of women in transect walks (ii) Participation of women in road safety awareness sessions (iii) At least 10% of households in rural habitations covered by Project 1 will be headed by women, and at least 40% of inhabitants are from vulnerable groups

Gender Action Plan

Gender mainstreaming targets:
(iv) At least 33% of labor for tree plantations along RCIP roads and unskilled work for road construction will be women (v) RCTRCs will develop and use gendersensitive training modules

RCIP Project 1 Key Features of the GAP

Activities Indicators and Targets
OUTPUT 1. Selected priority rural roads prioritized by PMGSY for 2012 sanction are constructed/upgraded into all-weather standard 1.1 Hire women workers for skilled and unskilled work in road construction and maintenance. Ensure equal wages for equal work done to both male and female skilled and unskilled labor in project works. 1.2 Ensure that contract documents prohibit the hiring of child labor. 1.3 Ensure that impact on vulnerable female-headed households due to road construction is mitigated. At least 33% of workers hired in road construction works through MGNREGA are women, who receive the same wages as their male counterparts.

Explicit provision prohibiting child labor is evident in project contracts. All affected FHH directly benefit from appropriate mitigation measures, and/or linked to poverty alleviation/livelihood restoration programs of MGNREGA, IAY, SGSY, etc.

RCIP Project 1 Key Features of the GAP

Activities Indicators and Targets
OUTPUT 2. Quality of design of RCIP roads is improved 2.1 Involve women from the local At least 40% of community members communities in project areas in the consulted on the design of RCIP roads identification of road alignment and are women decision making during the transect walk. OUTPUT 3. Maintenance of RCIP roads is improved and sustainable 3.1 Engage women as road maintenance workers or supervisors for road maintenance. (This activity will be undertaken under MNREGA especially in the states of Chhattisgarh and West Bengal.) 3.2 Ensure the engagement of women in each of the RRNMUs to be established in each state At least 33% of road maintenance workers/ hired for strengthening of earthen shoulders, tree plantation along the shoulders for a forestation and prevention of erosion of shoulders are women. At least 25% of the staff in each RRNMU in each of the 5 states are women.

 RCIP follows Community Participation Framework (CPF), which establishes guidelines supplemental to the PMGSY guidelines for community consultation One of the CPF provisions is to link the affected people with the poverty alleviation schemes of GOI and State Governments, i.e., Indira Awaas Yojana and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)

Linkage of some activities under GAP with MGNREGA

 RCIP GAP will be linked to MGNREGA, as some of the works permissible under the scheme such as afforestation, tree planting, small routine maintenance of rural roads will be done by women from the project influence area The Gram Panchayat is the single most important agency executing works under MGNREGA, facilitating registration and access of women to the scheme.

Linkage of some activities under GAP with MGNREGA

Institutional Arrangements for GAP Implementation

The State Rural Roads Development Agencies, the implementing agencies, will be responsible for GAP implementation. Project Implementation Consultants implementing CPF will carry out all activities listed in the GAP. Technical Support Consultants engaged to monitor the provisions under the CPF will also monitor GAP implementation.

For More Information

majmera@adb.org Web site: www.adb.org