Gender sensitive macroeconomics and public policy Ratna M. Sudarshan Director, Institute of Social Studies Trust, New Delhi Kathmandu, May 24-25, 2006

Mainstream policy approaches  General objective creation of an enabling framework: as in gender mainstreaming, building in gender perspective in all sectoral plans and policies gender budgeting, benefit incidence, budgetary allocations and expenditures gender sensitization, police, administration, judiciary Led from the top

Public policy: universal and targeted interventions national programmes – common framework, specified target group- ‘on scale’ Some questions:  Outreach?  Variability in actual outcomes?  How much effect on social norms?

Economic policy and gender  Gender differentiated outcomes a result of social norms and intra household issues  Need to work at both ends i.e. Formulate policy with awareness of social norms and likely outcomes Work to change/ modify/ create new norms  Social and economic policy informed by same data

What restricts social transformation?  Limited consensus and co-operation Ensuring the target group benefits  EGA – ‘guaranteed Job Card’  Why rent seeking even where the target group is clearly the most vulnerable? Multiple agency, multiple issue interventions  EGA – Panchayat, district administration, NGOs…  Cash for work – roads; assets for development

Situating interventions  25 % reservation for ‘poor’ children in private schools: level of preparedness among teachers, school staff, parents and others what will encourage ‘best case’ outcomes?  Children of home based workers Low enrolment/ high drop out linked to hh situation continues, girls more at risk targeting children alone?

Home based workers: Linking the economic and social  Shell/ pearl collectors – Bangladesh 72 % started work before the age of % are illiterate 100% self employed  Deficits Housing – boat or house? Health – related to work  Social inclusion – health, housing, schooling – requires simultaneous decisions on work, or the development trajectory

Enabling consensus  Building upwards local resources, priorities, strategies Social protection/ social policy interventions supported by development trajectory  Investments in community/ collective resources and amenities Spaces (women’s groups, other groups) Environment and habitat

Further research  Flagship programmes like MDM, (also EGA) reportedly have very varying outcomes across the country Critical analysis of a sample of locations, understanding reasons behind ‘best’ and ‘worst’ case outcomes Questioning the value of ‘scale’ vs locale specific approaches

Further research  Links between habitat/ environment policy and socio-economic outcomes (child health, education, child care, child labour..) Case studies Collective security and community co- operation at basis of social and economic advancement?