Achieving Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Engendering National Planning Processes, Policies and Interventions Caren Grown, ICRW November 19, 2003

Organization of the Talk Brief Overview of Task Force 3 on Education and Gender Equality TF3’s Main Messages “Best Practice” recommendations Interventions that work: – Quotas for political participation – Strategies to increase girls’ education

OVERARCHING MESSAGES Gender equality and women’s empowerment are fundamental to the achievement of ALL MDGs Investing in the education, health, safety and economic well-being of adolescents, especially girls, is a priority. Reducing women’s and girl’s time poverty through infrastructure investments (roads, energy, water and sanitation) and public policies that support women’s care responsibilities are critical. Sex-disaggregated data are key to catalyzing and monitoring progress toward the MDGs.

AREAS OF PRIORITY FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS Capability – Emphasize secondary education as a precondition for women’s empowerment – Sexual and reproductive health and rights Opportunity – Property and inheritance rights – Addressing informal employment and conditions of work Security – End violence against women

Trends in Political Participation Countries at 30% or more in 2002 South Africa Mozambique Argentina Netherlands New Zealand Sweden Germany Denmark Norway Finland Iceland Countries at 20-29% in 2002 Lao People’s Democratic Republic Namibia Australia Canada Spain Bahamas Barbados Trinidad Switzerland Uganda Tanzania Turkmenistan China Austria Seychelles Vietnam Bosnia Cuba

For More Information on Task Force 3 Promises to Keep: Achieving Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment