LAO PDR World Bank Country Gender Action Plan

What Is The World Banks Long Term Priority and Goal For Our Gender Interventions In Lao PDR:
A Two-pronged approach, focusing on: Reducing Vulnerabilities Improving Opportunities

The views expressed in this paper are the views of the author 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

A two-pronged approach
Reducing vulnerability: Improving womens and girls access to health and education, with a particular focus on reducing maternal mortality rates and malnutrition Promoting gender equality in remote, poor areas and among ethnic groups, where gender issues tend to be amplified and where access to services is limited Improving opportunities: Supporting gender responsive economic growth strategies, including benefits from natural resources Promoting economic opportunities for young women and men

Mechanisms:
Continue to strategically mainstream gender concerns into World Bank operational work, including routinely addressing gender aspects of project preparation, implementation in supervision aide memoires, implementation status- and completion reports. Continue to build and use the analytical platform on gender issues in Lao PDR, in collaboration with the GoL, development partners and civil society. Routinely and consistently raising key gender issues in our policy dialogue with Government, and expanding the policy dialogue on gender to include key line ministries. Raise the awareness of key gender issues by supporting gender specific initiatives.
Strategically mainstream gender concerns into operational work

Raise the awareness of key gender issues by supporting gender specific initiatives

Build and use the analytical platform on gender issues

Raising key gender issues in our policy dialogue with Government

Key indicators for outcomes and aggregate outputs

Gender dimension: the Scaling-Up Rural Sanitation Project (Champasak & Sekong provinces)
1. Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) Component

CLTS facilitators include women representatives from central , provincial and district levels.

Nam Saat Central CLTS trainer conducting monitoring in a village, Champasak province

CLTS facilitators from provincial health dept. , planning their project activity, Sekong province

CLTS facilitators from provincial health dept., working with villagers, Champasak province

Gender dimension: the Scaling-Up Rural Sanitation Project (Champasak & Sekong provinces)
1. Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) Component Village core team includes a woman representative Women are critical and important in community mobilisation and work monitoring.
Village CLTS core team in training

Trained CLTS volunteer conducting validation of sanitation status, Champasak province

Gender dimension: the Scaling-Up Rural Sanitation Project (Champasak & Sekong provinces)
1. Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) Component

CLTS triggering -- villagers involving in the disease transmission route exercise

Rural sanitation through CLTS approach community collective action Risks and consequences for women of OD are high and therefore ODF village has strong gender Community -- Beneficiaries inclusiveness

Gender dimension: the Scaling-Up Rural Sanitation Project (Champasak & Sekong provinces) 2. Sanitation Marketing Component

Applying a Human Center Approach in designing sanitation technology options womens viewpoint taken into account in the designing process

Gender dimension: the Scaling-Up Rural Sanitation Project (Champasak & Sekong provinces)
3. Hand Washing With Soap (HWWS) Component
Engaging Lao Womens Union (central & provincial levels) in the implementation Target group--women at household level Capacity building through learning events e.g. exchange visit to Vietnam, training

Central Lao Womens Union presenting hygiene promotion in Laos to Vietnam Womens Union

Lao women delegates participating in the Handwashing with Soap campaing, Vietnam

Gender dimension: Drinking Water Quality Management in Rural areas (Bolikhamxay & Khammouane provinces)

Lao Womens Union at provincial level, among other stakeholders (Education, Finance, Health etc.), takes active part in the development process of village Water Safety Plans
Women involving in the water quality testing work

Lao women delegates participating in the Water Safety Plan in Pilot village