1. Sulekha Patel The World Bank
Gender indicators in policy making, monitoring and evaluation: A World Bank perspective
Sulekha Patel
The World Bank

2. Outline of presentation
Elements of gender equality
Advance gender equality: business case
How does the Bank measure progress?
MDGs
Prospective MDG indicators
Gender Action Plan

3. Key Elements of Gender Equality
Leveling the field of opportunities
Gender equality in rights, resources, and voice
Household
Household resource and task allocations, fertility decisions
Economy & Markets
Access to land, financial services, labor markets, technology
Society
Civic and political participation
Domains of choices, domains for policy
This figure presents a framework that ties together key elements of gender equality* (*Source – Global Monitoring Report 2007)
In the household, evidence suggests that increased gender equality between men and women changes the allocation of household expenditures, resulting in a larger share of resources devoted to children’s education and health.
In the market, gender inequality is reflected in unequal access to land, credit, and labor markets, and in significantly less access to new production technologies.
In society, gender inequality is expressed as restrictions to women’s participation in civic and political life.
In addition to improving individuals’ lives, increased gender equality can contribute to better aggregate economic performance.
Aggregate economic performance (poverty reduction, growth)

4. Framework : Key Elements of Gender Equality
Ties together key elements of gender equality*
In the household: increased gender equality between men and women changes the allocation of HH expenditures, resulting in a larger share of resources devoted to children’s education and health.
In the market: gender inequality is reflected in unequal access to land, credit, and labor markets, and in significantly less access to new production technologies.
In society: gender inequality is expressed as restrictions to women’s participation in civic and political life.
In addition to improving individuals’ lives, increased gender equality can contribute to better aggregate economic performance.
*Source – WB Global Monitoring Report 2007

5. Advance Gender Equality: business case
Countries are falling behind their commitment to meet the MDGs
Gains in women’s economic opportunities lag behind those on women’s capabilities
Lack of women’s empowerment:
Imperils growth and poverty reduction
Less favourable education and health outcomes for children
Rapid spread of HIV/AIDS

6. How does the Bank measure progress?
MDG 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Official Indicators
Target 3A:
Eliminate gender disparities in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education by no later than 2015
Household
Economy and market
Society
Ratio of girls’ to boys’ enrollment in primary, secondary, and tertiary education
Share of women in wage employ-ment in the non-agricultural sector
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament

7. MDG3 Effect on Other MDGs
Gender equality and women’s empowerment are channels to attaining other MDGs —
universal primary education (MDG2A),
lower under-five mortality (MDG4A),
improved maternal health (MDG5A and B),
lower likelihood of contracting HIV/AIDS (MDG6A),
Reduce biodiversity loss (MDG7B).

8. Limitations of the Official MDG3 Indicators
Only partially measure gender equality
Do not monitor key elements of gender equality (health outcomes and disparities in access to productive resources such as land, credit, and technology)
Inadequate measurement of empowerment
National-level indicators can veil inequalities between particular subgroups

9. How does the Bank measure progress?
Prospective MDG 3 Indicators
Household
Economy and markets
Society
Test scores, male and female
Gender gap in wages
Percentage voting by male, female, and ratio
Proportion of women who have ever been victims of physical violence by an intimate male partner
Share of women in informal wage and self-employment in nonagricultural employment
Proportion of women in the executive branch
Percent of employed women who have access to child care
Percentage of individuals who possess basic citizenship documents, female, and ratio
Business by average size and sex of owner
Access to credit for women and men
Land ownership by female, male, and jointly held

10. The Gender Action Plan Framework
Addresses directly the gap between women’s capabilities and economic opportunities
Makes markets work for women
Identifies and implements policy measures to level playing field for women and improve policy and institutional environment for women
Empowers women to compete in the markets
Four markets have been identified:
Product; Land; Labour; and Financial

11. The Gender Action Plan Framework: Product Market
Policy level
Form women’s business, purchasing, and transport associations
Increase access to business services for women entrepreneurs
Increase access to ICT
Increase access to credit and financial services
Provide business start-up grants
Agency level
Reduce time and monetary costs of formalising enterprises
Include female-owned business and farms in supply chains
Provide information to women entrepreneurs on potential export markets and trade agreements

12. The Gender Action Plan Framework: Land Market
Policy level
Conduct social marketing of property rights legislation
Solicit women’s input into legislative changes on land holding and titling
Ensure women’s full participation in land adjudication and registration processes
Involve women and groups in local natural resource management
Agency level
Promote joint titling
Reform laws restricting women’s right to inherit or own land
Co-ordinate titling with such support services as credit and training

13. The Gender Action Plan Framework: Labour Market
Policy level
Increase women’s access to existing training programmes
Ensure non-discrimination in labour intermediation services
Provide quality day care and reduce their services
Agency level
Introduce legislation promoting women’s employment (part-time work and anti-discrimination)
Socialise costs of maternity leave
Certify good gender practices in firms
Engender public works programmes

14. The Gender Action Plan Framework: Financial Markets
Policy level
Support self help groups
Provide gender-sensitive business services
Provide market-based financial intermediation services
Agency level
Reform financial institutions to increase women’s access to financial services
Reform laws regarding rights to property
Offer commercial credit lines and financial services for women

15. Access to what? Financial institutions and services

16. Barriers to access: Involuntary exclusion for users of formal financial services
Price and non-price barriers associated with deposit, credit and payment services:
Physical access
Services being delivered in fewer and less convenient ways
Eligibility
Documents and other requirements to process services
Affordability
Fees (insufficient income, high risk)
Discrimination

17. Voluntary self exclusion:
Barriers to access: Voluntary exclusion for users of formal financial services
Voluntary self exclusion:
No need
Particularly older individuals
Cultural/religious reasons
May be due to lack of appropriate products
Indirect access

18. Infrastructure
Infrastructure increases women’s access to all four markets
Need to look at infrastructure in a gendered way
Women’s priorities are closely linked to their roles in and out of the household
Different from, or in additional to, the priorities of men
Potential impacts
Direct impact on women’s health and well-being
Transmit benefits to other members of family
Health
Education
Mixed evidence on labour force participation

19. Infrastructure modules
Modules will show value-added in gendered approach to infrastructure, and indicators for tracking progress
Modules available:
Water and sanitation
Urban
Transport
Mining
Energy
ICT

20. Example of indicators for mining sector
Employment
Percentage of supervisory positions held by women in mining companies
Percentage of managerial positions held by women in mining companies
Ratio of pay for women and men for the same type of work in mining companies
Impact
Percentage of women who report that access to clean water has been reduced
Number of water related illnesses reported at the local health center

21. The Gender Action Plan: How does it work?
Produce observable results in reasonable time frame
Tailor actions to country realities+
Strengthen statistics on women’s economic participation:
Essential for making their contributions to the economy visible
Essential for measuring results

22. Thank you