IFC Project in Europe and Central IFC Project in Europe and Central Asia:Asia:
Gender IntegrationGender Integration
Zouera Youssoufou & Patricia MaruschakZouera Youssoufou & Patricia MaruschakBrussels, Oct. 2008Brussels, Oct. 2008
• Increase Investment
• Strengthen SMEs / Local Private Sector
• Improve Enabling Environment
The IFC MissionThe IFC Mission The IFC MissionThe IFC Mission
MOST IFC PROJECTS ADDRESS ALL 3 MOST IFC PROJECTS ADDRESS ALL 3 GOALSGOALS
FOR MAXIMUM IMPACTFOR MAXIMUM IMPACT
MOST IFC PROJECTS ADDRESS ALL 3 MOST IFC PROJECTS ADDRESS ALL 3 GOALSGOALS
FOR MAXIMUM IMPACTFOR MAXIMUM IMPACT
PEP ECA is the largest IFC facilityPEP ECA is the largest IFC facilityPEP ECA is the largest IFC facilityPEP ECA is the largest IFC facility
Moscow • 17 offices
• 9 countries
• 31 programs worth $64M
• More than $80M in donor funding raised since 2000
• $19M in FY07 expenditures• ~230 mostly local field staff• Programmatic approach• Long-term involvement
IFC is organized by product IFC is organized by product linelineIFC is organized by product IFC is organized by product lineline
General Manager
Tania LozanskyMoscow
Communications Officer
Ilya SverdlovMoscow
Impact Assessment
Sanwaree SethiMoscow
Regional Financial Controller
Julia LessinaMoscow
HR Account ManagerNatalya TrekhlebMoscow
SOM Linkages
Ivan Ivanov
SOM Corporate
GovernanceMotria
Onyschuk- Morozov
SOM Housing Finance
Elena Klepikova
SOM Financial MarketsPatrick
Luternauer
SOM BEE
Sanda Liepina
SOMSustainability
TBC
Georgia Georgia Business Enabling Environment Business Enabling Environment ProjectProject
Project Goal: To improve the business environment for Georgianbussinesses
Project Objectives:• Monitor business environement through SME Surveys
• Nation-wide and targeted surveys
• Reduce regulatory burden on businesses• Inspections reform
Technical supervision Construction Food safety
• Licensing and Permits
• Improve SME access to informaiton
2006 - 2010Total Budget - $1.5 M US
CIDA - $250,000 US IFC - $500,000 US BP - $750,000 US
Georgia Corporate Governance Georgia Corporate Governance Project Project Project Context:• Weak legal and regulatory framework for corporate governance • Poor corporate governance practices at Georgian companies and banks• Lack of transparency, and insufficient respect for shareholders’ rights
Project Goal: To improve corporate governance practices of Georgiancompanies and banks = more effective operations andeasier access to capital
Project Objectives:• Direct Assistance to Companies and Banks• Development of Legal Framework• Public Awareness Campaign
2006 - 2010Total Budget - $1.8 M US
CIDA - $900,000 CDNBP - $400,000 US
South Tajikistan Cotton Lending South Tajikistan Cotton Lending Project Project
Project Goal: • To contribute towards poverty reduction and fostering economic growth in
the agricultural sector in South Tajikistan
Project Approach:• Contributing to the expansion of Tajiksodirotbonk (TSB) into under-serviced
rural areas• Help TSB introduce cotton lending products for small and medium sized
farms in S. Tajikistan • Lending target $300,000 US
2007- 2009Total Budget - $580,000 US
CIDA
Ukraine Agri-Insurance ProjectUkraine Agri-Insurance ProjectUkraine Agri-Insurance ProjectUkraine Agri-Insurance Project
PROJECT OBJECTIVES:
• Strategic plan for agri-insurance
• Improve regulatory environment
• Develop technical capacity of insurers
• Public education program
• Pilot program in selected sector
PROJECT CONTEXT:•Weak actuarial base, role of government unclear, industry fragmented•Consequently, few opportunities to manage risk, which affects availability and cost of finance to farms•Currently, only 8% of farmers use insurance•World Bank estimates market for agri-insurance in
Ukraine of $100 million per annum
2007- 2009Total Budget - $3.7 M CDN
CIDA
Project Approach:
• Research Tools for advocacy, expertise and monitoring
• PolicyEngage with state officials and get results through daily work
• Advocacy Media put pressure on politicians, who fear public opinionProject mobilizes and leverage support (stakeholders, donors)
Ukraine Business Enabling Environment Ukraine Business Enabling Environment ProjectProject
Project Context:• Ukraine’s Doing Business Ranking 2009 - 145/181 one of the lowest in the region• Standards & certification do not actually protect consumers $130 million in costs dealing with procedures• Inspections are a major burden Over 3 million work days expected to be lost by SMEs 95% of businesses inspected every year, total costs over $300 mln a year• Permits: highest number and incidence in CIS 54% of businesses must get at least one permit each year
2007- 2011Total Budget - $4.8 M US
CIDA - $2.2 M CDNSIDA - $10 M SEKEVD - $500,000 USIFC - $500,000 US
Overall Context• Highly educated region – both men and women• Soviet history of “state imposed gender equality”• Push-back from women in the region
Challenges• Gender still a marginal issue for projects• Lack of coordination between donors on how to address gender• Lack of recent and relevant data on gender issues in the region and in
relevant sectors• Projects at various stages in the project cycle• IFC-wide standardized BEE surveys• Risk of overburdening already busy projects
What Were We Facing?What Were We Facing?What Were We Facing?What Were We Facing?
What Did We Do?What Did We Do?What Did We Do?What Did We Do?
• Hired an international PSD specialist with a strong gender background to help each project develop its own gender strategy
• Focused on figuring out where gender “made sense” in each project’s existing mandate vs. adding on a stand-alone gender component
• Had each project select an existing team member to be the gender champion
Projects’ ApproachesProjects’ ApproachesProjects’ ApproachesProjects’ Approaches
•Ukraine Agri-Insurance – Gender as cross-cutting theme with specific focus on gender issues:
•Within companies providing ag-insurance •For consumers of ag-insurance
•Ukraine BEE –Project’s Surveys to identify gender issues for entrepreneurs
•Tajik Cotton Lending – Focus on working conditions for female farmers
•Georgia BEE and CG – Women in Business Roundtable
What Have We Learned?What Have We Learned?What Have We Learned?What Have We Learned?
•Presenting a business case for including gender helps convince sceptics
•BUT – don’t wait for data to start, activity builds interest and buy-in
•Focus on the value-added of gender, not just gender for the sake of gender
•Don’t dismiss gender issues before analyzing them properly
•Be prepared to follow-up on raised interest