World Bank World Bank Country Gender Assessments Country Gender Assessments

Lucia FortLucia FortGender and Development Group, Gender and Development Group,

PRMGEPRMGEThe World BankThe World Bank

May 17, 2006May 17, 2006

CGA ObjectivesCGA Objectives Inform the Bank’s policy dialogue with Inform the Bank’s policy dialogue with client country;client country;

Help identify priority areas for gender-Help identify priority areas for gender-responsive interventions to feed into the responsive interventions to feed into the Bank’s Country Assistance Strategy Bank’s Country Assistance Strategy (CAS); (CAS);

Follow-up (monitor, assess) gender Follow-up (monitor, assess) gender interventions identified in the CASinterventions identified in the CAS

Suggested ComponentsSuggested Components Country gender profileCountry gender profile Review of the country laws, institutional Review of the country laws, institutional

and policy context for promoting gender and policy context for promoting gender equalityequality

Review of the World Bank’s lending Review of the World Bank’s lending portfolio in the countryportfolio in the country

Recommended policy and operational Recommended policy and operational interventions based on gender analysis interventions based on gender analysis and stake holder consultations.and stake holder consultations.

Completed CGAsCompleted CGAsFY02-05 TOTAL= 41FY02-05 TOTAL= 41 Africa: 10 Africa: 10 EAP: 5EAP: 5 ECA 5ECA 5 LAC 13LAC 13 MENA 4MENA 4 SAR 2SAR 2

Completed CGAs FY02-05 by Region

24%

12%

17%

32%

10%5% Africa

EAP

ECA

LAC

MNA

SAR

Assessing CGA Institutional Assessing CGA Institutional ImpactImpact

Assessment in progressAssessment in progress Reviewed 7 CGAs delivered from FY02-Reviewed 7 CGAs delivered from FY02-

05: Jordan, Egypt, Benin, Uganda, 05: Jordan, Egypt, Benin, Uganda, Malawi, Vietnam, and AfghanistanMalawi, Vietnam, and Afghanistan

Focus on good practices resulting in Focus on good practices resulting in institutional impact (not on stellar institutional impact (not on stellar documentsdocuments))

Preliminary FindingsPreliminary Findings CGAs add value.CGAs add value. Timing is importantTiming is important Gender Approach is better than focusing only Gender Approach is better than focusing only

on women on women CGAs have impact on Bank Country CGAs have impact on Bank Country

Assistance Assistance Consultation is important for Country Consultation is important for Country

ownershipownership Need more resources for launch, Need more resources for launch,

dissemination & follow-updissemination & follow-up

CGAs add valueCGAs add valueNew gender related information or analysis: Jordan: notes women’s high education and high

fertility, but low labor market participation underutilization of human capital resources

Afghanistan: beyond women’s low education and high maternal mortality, identified women’s economic participation and how to strengthen it.

Bosnia and Herzegovina Poverty Assessment: highlights the importance of increasing female labor force participation in order to achieve poverty reduction.

Timing is importantTiming is important

CGA’s impact is more likely when conducted before and to feed into: Poverty Assessments (Benin) Country Assistance Strategies (CAS)

(Jordan, Vietnam) Interim National Development Strategies

(Afghanistan) Poverty Reduction Support Credits (PRSC)

(Uganda and Benin)

Gender Approach better than only Gender Approach better than only womenwomen

Gender approach tends to be more effective than woman- only to achieve acceptance.

AfghanistanAfghanistan switched focus from women only to a switched focus from women only to a gendered community approach addressing men and gendered community approach addressing men and women. This has led to buy-in by men at local level. women. This has led to buy-in by men at local level. Women are now elected to community councils for the Women are now elected to community councils for the first time.first time.

VietnamVietnam introduced gender into the national introduced gender into the national development strategy, thus training authorities on development strategy, thus training authorities on moving away from women’s machinery but inserting moving away from women’s machinery but inserting gender issues into mainstream policies and activities.gender issues into mainstream policies and activities.

Results in Bank Country Results in Bank Country AssistanceAssistance

JordanJordan. CGA key tool in formulation of national . CGA key tool in formulation of national policy on women in the labor market including policy on women in the labor market including revision of labor lawsrevision of labor laws

EgyptEgypt. CGA findings led to . CGA findings led to putting gender based violence and FMG on the putting gender based violence and FMG on the

country’s agenda andcountry’s agenda and revising nationality and tax laws to include women. revising nationality and tax laws to include women. Donors to support actions based on findings such as Donors to support actions based on findings such as

from gender budgeting and establishing family courtsfrom gender budgeting and establishing family courts..

Consultation promotes Consultation promotes ownershipownership

The process of consultation with Government, The process of consultation with Government, parliamentarians, CSO, academia, donors, and parliamentarians, CSO, academia, donors, and private sector promotes country ownership.private sector promotes country ownership.

JordanJordan. Ministry of planning established a gender . Ministry of planning established a gender unit. CGA influencing national development agenda.unit. CGA influencing national development agenda.

MalawiMalawi. Ministry of Finance established a gender unit . Ministry of Finance established a gender unit and follow-up activities to CGA findings.and follow-up activities to CGA findings.

ConclusionsConclusionsCGA is a valuable mechanism to put gender into policy CGA is a valuable mechanism to put gender into policy

dialogue and country assistancedialogue and country assistance CGA promotes changes at national level (regardless CGA promotes changes at national level (regardless

of its impact in the WB)of its impact in the WB)

Institutional requirements for ensuring impact:Institutional requirements for ensuring impact: Country director support Country director support gender expert/focal point to link CGA to different Bank gender expert/focal point to link CGA to different Bank

proceduresprocedures Participatory consultation with government, civil society, Participatory consultation with government, civil society,

academia and donors throughout the CGA processacademia and donors throughout the CGA process Dialogue with a government ministry (such as Finance Dialogue with a government ministry (such as Finance

and/or Planning) and not only with Ministry for Women’s and/or Planning) and not only with Ministry for Women’s AffairsAffairs

budget for additional publications, dissemination, and budget for additional publications, dissemination, and follow up when the CGA is successfulfollow up when the CGA is successful

Recommendations Recommendations A future combined instrument would benefit from:A future combined instrument would benefit from:

Good information & data providing targeted Good information & data providing targeted informationinformation

Consultative processConsultative process Dissemination in countryDissemination in country Ability to promote country ownershipAbility to promote country ownership Follow-up discussions on application of findings in Follow-up discussions on application of findings in

country and in the Bank country assistance (requires country and in the Bank country assistance (requires $$)$$)

Monitoring impact on Bank procedures and in country Monitoring impact on Bank procedures and in country both at policy dialogue level and in operations with both at policy dialogue level and in operations with clear indicators.clear indicators.

Food for Thought!Food for Thought! How to ensure the impact of a combined How to ensure the impact of a combined

gender, poverty, social analysis report?gender, poverty, social analysis report?

The Bank Instruments (CAS, ESW, etc.)The Bank Instruments (CAS, ESW, etc.) Country Assistance: the portfolioCountry Assistance: the portfolio Government: National Programs & InstrumentsGovernment: National Programs & Instruments Parliamentarians/Donors/Civil Society/AcademiaParliamentarians/Donors/Civil Society/Academia