World Bank Country Gender Assessments Lucia Fort Gender and Development Group, PRMGE The World Bank May 17, 2006

CGA Objectives Inform the Bank’s policy dialogue with client country; Inform the Bank’s policy dialogue with client country;  Help identify priority areas for gender- responsive interventions to feed into the Bank’s Country Assistance Strategy (CAS);  Follow-up (monitor, assess) gender interventions identified in the CAS

Suggested Components  Country gender profile  Review of the country laws, institutional and policy context for promoting gender equality  Review of the World Bank’s lending portfolio in the country  Recommended policy and operational interventions based on gender analysis and stake holder consultations.

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

Assessing CGA Institutional Impact Assessment in progress Assessment in progress Reviewed 7 CGAs delivered from FY02-05: Jordan, Egypt, Benin, Uganda, Malawi, Vietnam, and Afghanistan Reviewed 7 CGAs delivered from FY02-05: Jordan, Egypt, Benin, Uganda, Malawi, Vietnam, and Afghanistan Focus on good practices resulting in institutional impact (not on stellar documents ) Focus on good practices resulting in institutional impact (not on stellar documents )

Preliminary Findings CGAs add value. CGAs add value. Timing is important Timing is important Gender Approach is better than focusing only on women Gender Approach is better than focusing only on women CGAs have impact on Bank Country Assistance CGAs have impact on Bank Country Assistance Consultation is important for Country ownership Consultation is important for Country ownership Need more resources for launch, dissemination & follow-up Need more resources for launch, dissemination & follow-up

CGAs add value New 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 important Timing 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 women Gender approach tends to be more effective than woman- only to achieve acceptance. Afghanistan switched focus from women only to a gendered community approach addressing men and women. This has led to buy-in by men at local level. Women are now elected to community councils for the first time. Afghanistan switched focus from women only to a gendered community approach addressing men and women. This has led to buy-in by men at local level. Women are now elected to community councils for the first time. Vietnam introduced gender into the national development strategy, thus training authorities on moving away from women’s machinery but inserting gender issues into mainstream policies and activities. Vietnam introduced gender into the national development strategy, thus training authorities on moving away from women’s machinery but inserting gender issues into mainstream policies and activities.

Results in Bank Country Assistance Jordan. CGA key tool in formulation of national policy on women in the labor market including revision of labor laws Jordan. CGA key tool in formulation of national policy on women in the labor market including revision of labor laws Egypt. CGA findings led to Egypt. CGA findings led to putting gender based violence and FMG on the country’s agenda and putting gender based violence and FMG on the country’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 from gender budgeting and establishing family courts. Donors to support actions based on findings such as from gender budgeting and establishing family courts.

Consultation promotes ownership The process of consultation with Government, parliamentarians, CSO, academia, donors, and private sector promotes country ownership. Jordan. Ministry of planning established a gender unit. CGA influencing national development agenda. Jordan. Ministry of planning established a gender unit. CGA influencing national development agenda. Malawi. Ministry of Finance established a gender unit and follow-up activities to CGA findings. Malawi. Ministry of Finance established a gender unit and follow-up activities to CGA findings.

Conclusions CGA is a valuable mechanism to put gender into policy dialogue and country assistance CGA promotes changes at national level (regardless of its impact in the WB) CGA promotes changes at national level (regardless 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 procedures gender expert/focal point to link CGA to different Bank procedures Participatory consultation with government, civil society, academia and donors throughout the CGA process Participatory consultation with government, civil society, academia and donors throughout the CGA process Dialogue with a government ministry (such as Finance and/or Planning) and not only with Ministry for Women’s Affairs Dialogue with a government ministry (such as Finance and/or Planning) and not only with Ministry for Women’s Affairs budget for additional publications, dissemination, and follow up when the CGA is successful budget for additional publications, dissemination, and follow up when the CGA is successful

Recommendations A future combined instrument would benefit from: A future combined instrument would benefit from: Good information & data providing targeted information Good information & data providing targeted information Consultative process Consultative process Dissemination in country Dissemination in country Ability to promote country ownership Ability to promote country ownership Follow-up discussions on application of findings in country and in the Bank country assistance (requires $$) Follow-up discussions on application of findings in country and in the Bank country assistance (requires $$) Monitoring impact on Bank procedures and in country both at policy dialogue level and in operations with clear indicators. Monitoring impact on Bank procedures and in country both at policy dialogue level and in operations with clear indicators.

Food for Thought! How to ensure the impact of a combined gender, poverty, social analysis report? How to ensure the impact of a combined gender, poverty, social analysis report?  The Bank Instruments (CAS, ESW, etc.)  Country Assistance: the portfolio  Government: National Programs & Instruments  Parliamentarians/Donors/Civil Society/Academia