Promoting Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women Chapter 3 Main messages
Increased equality has intrinsic and instrumental value Increased gender equality in households, markets and society Mother’s greater control over decision-making in households Women have better access to markets Women have better education and health Increased women’s labor force participation, productivity and earnings Improved children’s well-being Better health and educational attainment & greater productivity as adults Income / consumption expenditure Differential savings rate Future poverty reduction and economic growth Current poverty reduction and economic growth
Gender equality is about fairness, opportunity, and smart economics Tracking gender equality over time: 1990-2005 .
Some low income countries & fragile states will not meet MDG3 target Regional performance in attaining the primary and secondary enrollment target by 2005 . Achieved target by 2005 On track to achieve target by 2015 Off track or unlikely to achieve target by 2015 No data Total Sub-Saharan Africa 10 1 16 21 48 East Asia and the Pacific 13 11 24 Europe and Central Asia 22 4 27 Latin America and the Caribbean 31 Middle East and North Africa 8 3 14 South Asia 2 83 46 152 of which: Fragile states 5 9 35
Official MDG indicators do not fully monitor gender equality and empowerment They exclude important elements of gender equality such as health. They poorly measure gender equality in education, employment and political participation. They monitor performance on national averages which can mask inequality within countries Source: Duryea, Galiani, Nopo and Piras (2006)
‘Good’ parity levels may hide huge enrollment challenges Source: World Development Indicators 2006
Additional indicators – three filters: Data availability Policy relevance Parsimony
Recommended additional indicators for MDG3 Household Economy and markets Modifications of official MDG indicators Additional indicators Primary completion rate of girls and boys (MDG 2) Percentage of 15-19 year-old girls who are mothers or pregnant with their first child Labor force participation rates among women and men aged 20-24 and 25–49 Under five mortality rate for girls and boys (MDG 4) Percentage of reproductive-age women, and their sexual partners, using modern contraceptives (MDG 6)
Monitoring child mortality reveals additional problem regions Female under-5 mortality rate and female to male ratio, 2004 Source: World Population Prospects 2004.
Other themes: Lessons from high and low performing countries on MDG3. Policy framework for gender equality. Review of gender policies in donor agencies (IFIs and bilaterals).
Female-to-male ratio of primary gross enrollment rates Changes in official MDG3 indicators for countries in the bottom and top quintiles, 1990–2005 Female-to-male ratio of primary gross enrollment rates
Women’s share in nonagricultural wage employment Changes in official MDG3 indicators for countries in the bottom and top quintiles, 1990–2005 Women’s share in nonagricultural wage employment
Lessons Primary enrollment success international mobilization & financial resources make a difference. Increased divergence between countries in top & bottom quintiles widening gaps in well-being between better off and poorer women. Less difference for non-agricultural wage employment and political participation expanding capabilities, restricted opportunities.
Policy Framework for Gender Equality Legal and constitutional reforms Responsive institutions Pro-active policies
Experience with gender mainstreaming Gap between words (policies) and deeds (implementation) Diffusion of responsibility Ambitiousness of mandate Inconsistent support from senior management Difficulty in tracking financial resources Difficulty in measuring results
Going Forward Gender mainstreaming & specific initiatives Greater selectivity in mainstreaming Results orientation Instrumental arguments High-level leadership & financial resources
Thank you The GMR and related materials are available at: http://www.worldbank.org/gmr2007