UNIFEM Asia-Pacific and Arab States Regional Programme for Engendering Economic Governance demystifying economics and empowering women

Second Regional Workshop
on
Gender and Poverty Reduction Strategies

Siem Reap, Cambodia September 17-18, 2003

Introduction

UNIFEM supported the World Bank and ADB in facilitating the Second Regional Meeting on Gender in the PRSP (Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper) attended by senior policy makers from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Timor Leste and Vietnam. See also the Press Brief (Word, 33k).

The World Bank Gender Advisor for East Asia, Gillian Brown, the UNIFEM Regional Economic Advisor, Lorraine Corner, the UNIFEM consultant on gender-responsive budgeting in Morocco, Nalini Burn, and the UNIFEM Consultant on Engendering the MDGs in Cambodia, Mia Hyun, were each responsible for facilitating a specific module.

The four modules were:

• Stock taking and sharing experience on engendering PRS processes – Gillian Brown
• Gender-sensitive indicators and monitoring of policy development, planning and implementation including MDGs – Lorraine Corner
• Costing and budgeting of gender-specific actions in poverty reduction strategies – Nalini Burn
• Advocacy for gender-sensitive policy change – Mia Hyun

Gillian, Lorraine, Nalini and Mia worked as a facilitating team throughout the workshop, which used very participatory methods. During most sessions, participants carried out the group work in country groups using their national language to facilitate ease of communication. However, some participants decided to work in cross-country groups on the second day.

You can download the World Bank's Final Report on the Workshop in Word format (47 pages, 379 Kb). The Report is summarised below.

Objectives

To review and exchange experiences with the gender-sensitive preparation of poverty reduction strategies; to discuss the significance of gender-sensitive indicators in implementation and monitoring of these strategies; and to improve understanding of budgeting and advocating for priority gender-related policies.

Organizers

The World Bank in partnership with UNIFEM, ADB, DFID, Oxfam, The Netherlands government and UNDP.

Participants

Fifty-seven representatives from six countries preparing and implementing poverty reduction strategies (Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Timor Leste and Vietnam) drawn from: government, parliament and civil society organizations. Forty-one observers from donors and other institutions were also present. The list of participants is in Annex 1 of the Final Report.

Process

A participatory process was used with a considerable amount of group work carried out over the two days. The groups were facilitated throughout by the World Bank and ADB country gender coordinators from each country.

Agenda

The workshop agenda is in Annex 2 of the Final Report.

Downloadable Presentations

The presentations listed below are downloadable from this site.

Day 1, Wednesday 17 September 2003

Description of Aims, Agenda, and Process for Day 1 (Powerpoint, 1.34 Mb)
Lorraine Corner, Regional Economic Advisor, UNIFEM

Opening Ceremony

Welcome remarks (Word, 25k)
H.E. Mr Cheap Nhalivuth, Governor, Siem Reap Province

Remarks on Gender and Poverty Reduction Strategies (Word, 100k)
H.E. Mr Kim Saysamalen, Secretary General, Council for Social Development, and Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Planning, Royal Government of Cambodia

Key note speakers

Opening speech (Word, 23k)
Mr Patrick Brandt, Director of Development, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Thailand

World Bank Perspective on Gender integration into Poverty Reduction Strategies (Powerpoint, 345k)
Ms Karen Mason, Director of Gender and Development, World Bank, Washington D.C.

Gender Mainstreaming into Poverty Reduction Strategies: reflections from Oxfam and civil society (Word, 29k)
Ms. Mandy Woodhouse, Regional Gender Focal Point, Oxfam UK, Vietnam

Official opening of the Workshop

Official Opening Speech (Word, 30k)
H.E. Ms Ing Kuntha Phavi, Secretary of State, Ministry of Women and Veterans’ Affairs Royal Government of Cambodia

Module 1 Stocktaking and sharing experience on engendering PRS Processes

Hanoi Action Plan Review (Powerpoint, 14k)
Presenter: Tran Thi Minh Chanh, National Assembly, Viet Nam

Gender Development in Agriculture (Powerpoint, 31k)
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Cambodia

Module 2 Gender-sensitive indicators and monitoring of policy development, planning and implementation including MDGs

Gender Indicators for PRS and MDGs, UNIFEM/UNDP Project (Powerpoint, 1.7 Mb)
Mia Hyun, Poverty Specialist, Cambodia

Monitoring the implementation of PRS process (Powerpoint, 200k)
Thomas Frietas, Lao Hamutuk, Timor Leste

Talking Points arising from Timor Leste presentation (Word, 26k)

Day 2 - Thursday 18 September 2003

Description of Process for Day 2 (Powerpoint, 454k)
Lorraine Corner, Regional Economic Advisor, UNIFEM

Module 3 Costing and budgeting of gender-specific actions in poverty reduction strategies

Gender budgeting linking PRS to budget (Powerpoint, 100k)
Nalini Burn

Module 4 Advocacy for gender-sensitive policy change

Gender Sensitive Policy Development and Advocacy Strategies (Word, 105k)
Mr Han Phoumin, Cambodian Team

Response of Civil Society Towards Indonesia PRS: the Case of GAPRI (Movement for Anti-Impoverishment of Indonesian People) (Powerpoint, 57k)
Presenter: Ms Titik Hartini, ASPUK

Summary of Outcomes and Achievements

• The articulation of the progress made in recent years renewed the enthusiasm and motivation to continue the work on mainstreaming gender in poverty reduction strategies;
• Cross country experience-sharing opened the possibility for new opportunities and proposals in other countries;
• Group work on concrete examples helped demonstrate that there are practical steps that could be taken to turn policy to action, and what these steps are;
• Strengthened networks, and joint perception of the challenges and opportunities, was developed between individuals from different institutions and civil society within each country;
• Better links and understanding was developed between the country delegations from government and civil society and the World Bank and ADB staff working on gender in the country;
• Donors developed a better understanding of the future directions in mainstreaming gender at a policy level, and of how they can work together to help the government and civil society meet targets in this respect.
• A strategy was developed for integrating gender into the October Regional Conference on Poverty Reduction Strategies.

Follow-up

• Most country groups committed themselves to holding meetings after they returned to their countries to share their experiences within their organizations, and especially with the delegations that will be participating in the October Regional conference on Poverty Reduction Strategies.
• Country delegations requested more training on gender budgeting which needs following through with proposals to donors for funding and help to organize.
• Country delegations made recommendations to develop their national strategies or action plans for gender mainstreaming, especially in terms of working more with sectors.
• Several countries also would like to work on gender-sensitive indicator development especially with respect to monitoring progress on meeting MDG targets, and monitoring implementation of poverty reduction strategies.
• Following up will be a challenge but donors expressed their commitment to help and continue to work together.

  Shireen Lateef, Principal Social Development Specialist, ADB, is coordinating inputs from the Workshop to the Regional Conference on Poverty Reduction Strategies, to be held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 16-18 October 2003.

"It was important to see the commitment and priority given by so many donors to the issue, and at the same time to see the enthusiasm and commitment in the country delegations. This provided us with encouragement to continue working to overcome the many challenges we still face" Quote from a World Bank Country Gender Coordinator

dated: 29Oct2003