1. “Gender Sensitive Policy Development and Advocacy Strategies”
Presented by Mr. Han Phoumin for the Cambodian Team trained by UNESCAP/UNIFEM

2. Presentation in two parts 1. Steps in Policy Development 2
Presentation in two parts 1. Steps in Policy Development 2. Steps in Developing An Advocacy Strategy

3. What is the problem? Macro level – is the PRSP pro-poor?
If pro-poor, is it gender-responsive?
How does specific issue (women garment workers & WTO) relate to other macro policy issues? – liberalization, lack of employment, rural development, HRD etc
Cambodian Team Experience - difficult to identify mainstream issues
Lack technical knowledge
Focused on women
Not “at the decision-making table”
We need to:
Define the problem clearly
Understand broad macro policy context of the gender issue.
Eg, in relation to PRSP, at macro level, the issue is not about women but about poverty.
If it is gender blind it will not:
address the needs of women and
be successful in eradicating poverty
Cambodia’s NPRS acknowledges poverty issues for women but the strategies are gender blind. Ie. They fail to address gender inequality.
3. For example;
garment industry is here because of trade liberalization, GSP and MSN;
garment workers come from rural areas because of lack of employment opportunities;
they send half of their earnings back to their families in rural areas;
garment workers are better educated than most women, but still only junior secondary level.
4. Cambodian Team’s Experience: It was hard to think at the macro level rather than at the more specific sectoral level because:
Staff are technical officers in line ministries
Women’s affairs is focused on women, staff lack understanding of macro policy
In general, women’s ministries are not at the decision-making table.
But in Cambodia, in August 2003, the MOWVA was invited to participate as one of the five priority ministries in the Medium Term Expenditure Framework. ie. To join the mainstream of macro economic policy making.

4. To identify best strategies
Need:
Engendered data
Gender-responsive analysis by sex and other relevant socio-economic dimensions
Gender-sensitive national staff
Gender-sensitive international advisors and donors – especially for LDCs - especially when NOT considering women
Identify several alternative strategies
Evaluate pros & cons (gender perspective)
Assess costs and benefits
Select best strategy
If the NPRS is genuinely pro-poor it will address the needs of women through targeted strategies. To identify the best strategies, we need
data collected through gender-responsive methods that reflect women’s lives and needs as well as men’s;
Gender-responsive analysis disaggregated by sex and other relevant variables;
Gender sensitive people
To identify the best strategy, we need to
consider alternative strategies;
compare pros and cons from a gender perspective;
Assess costs and benefits.
Select the optimum – best - strategy

5. Developing an advocacy strategy
Step 1: Develop an Advocacy Map to identify:
stakeholders
roles of each stakeholder
Beneficiaries
Advocates
Policy makers
Programme implementation
Monitoring & evaluation
specific actions required of each stakeholder
most effective advocates for each stakeholder
Who has to do what?
We used a Policy Map to show
All stakeholders,
their roles & interest
The action needed from them to implement the policy
Most effective advocates to target each one and / or the media (eg. Press, posters, personal approach etc)
Who? – parliamentarians, trades unions and women workers, political parties, specific ministries such as Social Affairs & Labour, Women’s Affairs, National Institute of Statistics, NGOs
We forgot about the media.
Roles – see slide
What actions? – eg.
Lobby the Secretary State
Ministry of Commerce to include the issue in an action plan
Other ministries, parties, civil society groups to build support
Ministry of Finance & Economy, Ministry for Women’s & Veteran’s Affairs, Ministry of Labour, Vocational Training & Youth Rehabilitation, ILO, NGOs, donors to mobilize resources
Identifying a focal person to approach the Ministry of Commerce -

6. Developing an advocacy strategy (Cont)
Step 2: Consultations with stakeholder groups
To identify message to motivate stakeholder to act
Evidence needed to support – “sell” - the message to that stakeholder
Step 3: Identify medium to be used (lobbying? Media Campaign? Posters? etc)
Step 4: Monitor implementation & results
Consultation with beneficiaries is often left out.
To motivate stakeholders to take the desired action, we need
A short, clear and simple message adapted to the interests of each stakeholder
Key data well presented (graphics not tables?), just a few pieces of data that will have an impact on the target
A medium for presenting the message – poster, a lobbyist, campaign, a policy brief, policy analysis
Monitor implementation and results
has action been taken?
If action has been taken, what was the impact?
What is still needed?

7. National machineries for women & women’s NGOs have vital roles in advocacy & monitoring
National Machineries must advocate with government
Should also monitor performance to hold Government accountable for commitments to women under international conventions and also on stated policies.
NGOs – can carry out advocacy with the general public more effectively than government can
As representatives of civil society, should also be monitoring performance and impact to hold Government accountable to its constituencies