The views expressed in this paper are the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the

views or policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), or

its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and accepts no
responsibility for any consequence of their use. The countries listed in this paper do not imply any view on ADB's part as to sovereignty or independent status
or necessarily conform to ADB's terminology.

Gender and ADB

Gender, Entrepreneurship and Economic

Empowerment in South Asia
Kathmandu, February 2011

Shireen Lateef
Senior Advisor (Gender)
 Outline
• Gender in ADB’s corporate architecture
• Corporate Gender targets
• Gender Mainstreaming Strategy
• Gender Architecture
• Gender Plan of Action
• Project Gender Categorization system
• Policy and Capacity support for DMCs
• Some Successes
• Women’s Entreprepreneurship
Gender in Corporate
Architecture
 Gender
Mainstreaming
Strategies
• Country Strategies and Programs (CGAs)
• Policy Dialogue on Gender
• Corporate Plan of Action on Gender
• Gender Categorization System
• Gender Inclusive Project Designs
• Gender knowledge Products and Tools
– Sector gender checklists
• Gender Capacity Development
 ADB’s Gender Architecture
RMs

Gender Equity Committee

CoP CWRD
HQ (1)
AFG
GEO
KGZ
UZB

GAD Fund Committee

EARD MON
HQ
Inter-Dep’t Technical
Working Group on
Recommend Gender Mainstreaming
External
to RSDD/RSGS PARD N/A
Forum on HQ (1)
(3)
Gender ADB
and Dev’t. Management
BAN
• Policy SARD NEP
oversight HQ (1) SRI

•Advisory
CAM
• Knowledge SERD LAO
Other CoP Members HQ (1) INO
• Reporting VIE
• Divisional GAD Focal
Points • Sector • Country
• Project
•Project
• Staff interested in administration
processing
GAD
GAD Plan of Action
2008-2010

“Roadmap" for translating policy into

action.

Three key action areas:

• country partnership strategies/CGAs

• lending/ADF operations targets
• Policy dialogue and gender capacity
development (staff and partners)
Gender Mainstreaming
in ADB

• Defines gender mainstreaming as an

approach to gender equality and women’s
empowerment.

• Translates gender mainstreaming into

concrete strategies, actions, activities
Gender Categorization System
1. Gender Equity Theme (GEN)
 Gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) as
explicit project outcome
 Directly supports GEWE

2. Effective Gender Mainstreaming (EGM)

 GEWE substantially integrated but not explicit outcome
 Directly supports EGWE

3. Some Gender Benefits (SGB)

 Gender partially integrated and does not meet EGM criteria
 Indirectly supports GEWE
 Gender addressed in mitigation

4. No Gender Elements (NGE)

 Gender not integrated in design
Gender Mainstreaming
in Projects
 Project Gender Action Plans
(GAPs)
 Gender analysis in project
preparation
 Gender targets and performance
indicators in project DMF
 Inclusion of GAP in project
documents (RRP)
 Inclusion of GAP in Project
Administration Manual
 Gender specialists in project
implementation teams
 Covenant for GAP implementation
Policy and Capacity
Support
• Promote policy dialogue
 gender-responsive policy or law reforms
 Engage national machinery for CGA/CPS
 Partnerships with development partners
• Build DMC gender capacity
 TAs and RETAs for capacity development support
to national machineries/line ministries
 EA/IA capacity development – project GAPS
 Cross-country or regional lateral learning
 Some Successes

• NEP: Governance Reform Program

• NEP: Gender Equality and Women’s
Empowerment
• NEP: Irrigation Sector
• BAN: Rural Infrastructure Support
• BAN: UGIIP
 Women’s
Entrepreneurship
Constraints

• Earning differentials/Unequal legal status

• Limited access to and control of productive resources
• Limited access to financial services
• Informal costs for women’s business operation
• Lack of education, training, and skills
• Limited access to markets and information networks
• Working conditions may be suboptimal
• Limited ability to influence decisions in business
communities and enabling policy making
 What Can We Do?
 Support policy, legal, regulatory and
financial market reforms to create an
enabling environment for women entrepreneurs

 Build Institutional Capacity for Financial

and Business Development Services to
reduce constraints in productive resources (credit,
technology, training and information networks)
and provide incentives for women’s
entrepreneurship

 Link entrepreneurs with domestic or

global value chains to give SMEs access to
information, technology, new skills, capital and
markets.
16
Visit our website:
www.adb.org/gender/