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Conclusions
The experience of Asia and
Pacific Division in gender-sensitive projects such as the P4K
project, the Grameen Bank, the TNWD project and the MRCP project
show that women can be important mediators of economic and social
change. Empowering women and giving them a stronger decision-making
role at the household and community levels will lead to a reduction
in child mortality and malnutrition (IFPRI 1999) and also eventually
influence the nature of public discussions on social issues at the
community level. IFAD must therefore take a more proactive role
so as to add force to the voice of women and their ‘agency
role’ in social transformation. This is bound to affect positively
the lives of both women and men.
In more practical terms, Asia and Pacific Divison has created a
logical framework that summarizes how it intends to pursue the new
course of action. The logical framework lists the important and
urgent matters that need to be undertaken during the year 2000 and
beyond.
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Urgent
Issues
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All terms of reference must include a gender focus.
- Gender
training for IFAD/UNOPS project staff must be completed
by April 2000.
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All start-up workshops must include a gender review.
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The number of women consultants must be increased by 10%.
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Important Issues
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Guidelines on the approach to key issues in
the areas of gender and indigenous peoples must be reviewed
by May 2000.
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Fifty percent of supervision missions must
report on gender mainstreaming by 31 December 2000.
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Five case studies on gender must be completed
by 31 December 2000.
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Five new projects must include a specific
training budget on gender mainstreaming.
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At least 20% of projects must report on the
role of women in decision-making on management committees
by 31 December 2000.
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At least 10% of projects must report on intrahousehold
issues by 31 December 2000.
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Indicators sensitive to changes in gender
relations must be worked out with IFAD’s Division of
Evaluation and Studies and the Technical Advisory Division
by May 2000.
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Issues related to women’s ownership/user
rights over land must be specially reviewed.
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Issues related to women’s access to technologies
must be reviewed.
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A gender-sensitive cost-benefit analysis must
be undertaken in at least two projects.
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Constraints on women’s participation
in marketing, on their mobility and on their understanding
of new markets must be specially reviewed.
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. Some theoretical work has already been
carried out to identify crucial indicators that could be used to assess
the ways in which projects were promoting the transformational role
of women in society. Some of the gender-mainstreaming indicators that
could be used by IFAD would address the progress of women in the following
areas:
- political/legal awareness;
- involvement in social and political activities;
- ownership of productive assets;
- access to new technologies;
- economic security;
- ability to make small purchases;
- involvement in major household decisions;
- relative freedom from domination within the family;
- participation in community decision-making bodies;
- the choice in the size of the family;
- children’s education; and
- what food to buy.
More work will be required to operationalize the use
of these indicators. Asia and Pacific Division will work closely with
gender networks, Technical Advisory Division and The
Office of Evaluation and Studies to bring this work to a fruitful
conclusion.
The key gender-mainstreaming activities in IFAD’s
project cycle are shown in Table 1.
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