7.0 Lesson learnt and recommendations.

• Position: Gender Dimension of PRSP Processes and the Relationship to the National Budgets: The Experiences of Egypt, Mali, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia - Table - Report

7.1 Lessons Learnt

(a) Gender Analysis macro-economic frameworks and PRSP sectors Macro economic management is noble but may not necessarily benefit men and women equally.

Controlling inflation is good for the poor majority of who are women. However, excluding the unpaid work of women from the national accounts leading to an underestimation of the real economy and therefore undue control of the money supply is detrimental to overall public expenditure -that is supposed to address distributional concerns. This then negates the whole objective of "protecting the poor."

A competitive exchange rate is good as long as the products that are marketed internationally include outputs of both men and women.

Competitive interest rates in the formal banking institutions would be welcome if both men and women had access to these services.

Segmentation in the labour market means varying impacts of the macroeconomic framework on men and women.

There is need for data to conduct a gender analysis of the macroeconomic framework.

* A macro-economic framework with a constrained budget leads to inadequate provision of the economic infrastructure and support services, as well as the social services that are the responsibility of the state.

* Inadequate funding of sectors has adverse effects mainly on the poor communities and households that cannot ensure own provision.

* It is useful to establish the effects of inadequate funding of public services on individuals. However, this can only be ascertained if there is detailed gender disaggregated data (GDD) on access and use of public services. This report does not establish the impact of limited sectoral funding on women, men, boys and girls because of lack of GDD.

* A sectoral analysis of the PRSP sectors reveals the inequalities and informs the choice of strategies for poverty reduction among men and women; as well as the national budgeting process

Advocacy message

Countries should generate the relevant data as well develop the technical expertise for gender analysis of the PRSP sectors in general and the macro-economic frameworks in particular. For the macroeconomic analysis inferences can be made even in the absence of gender disaggregated data.

(b) Processes of gender mainstreaming within PRSPs

* Gender mainstreaming must be spearheaded and coordinated from the top. It is critical, therefore to strengthen capacities of the national machineries.

* Ensuring that poverty reduction and growth are equitable requires pro-active attention and well targeted focus

* Involvement of gender advocates in the PRSP is critical to ensure gender mainstreaming into the PSRP process. There is need to have a critical mass of advocates (from strategic institutions) for effective advocacy. The team has to constantly interface with the PRSP process by continuously reviewing and commenting on documentation, as well as having dialogue sessions with the various stakeholders.

* The involvement of gender advocates must be prepared for by having research and data for policy debates; as well as application tools like guidelines or checklists. Of importance is the macroeconomic analysis that is usually omitted.

* Gender issues are numerous and it is important to prioritize those issues that will deliver most for gender equality

* The involvement of gender advocates must not stop at the PRSP formulation but engages with implementation processes: the budget, as well as monitoring and evaluation. The Rwanda case used the checklist to develop activities that would ensure that there is this follow up beyond the PRSP document, in terms of data to be generated and the technical expertise required.

* Gender mainstreaming is a process that is likely to take time to deliver any tangible results. There is need for commitment and persistence. Any small achievement must be appreciated and built upon for higher results.

* Gender analysis that is not backed by empirical evidence will have limited influence on the policy makers

* Mainstreaming gender in the PRSP must be supported by the requisite budgetary allocations to the areas that address gender concerns

Advocacy Messages

Gender mainstreaming is a lengthy process that calls for commitment and well-targeted focus. The process must be coordinated from the top, and well resourced with technical expertise, GDD, and country specific gender studies.

The exercise of gender mainstreaming must go beyond production of gender responsive documents to actual implementation of strategies geared towards addressing the concerns. These have to be followed through by the gender advocates.

5.2 Recommendations

National statistical offices and sectoral information management systems (MIS) need to endeavour to provide Gender Disaggregated Data.

Effective gender analysis for policy influence must be backed by data. There is need to invest in gender research to generate country specific evidence, even for gender issues that are "known".

Counties must build capacity of gender analysts to ensure effective gender mainstreaming. This should entail having strong national machinery for coordination. The governments should adequately budget for the national machineries as well as the capacity building activities.

The task of ensuring effective gender mainstreaming should not be left to the national machineries alone. There is need for a critical mass of gender analysts and advocates based in different institutions for complementing each other. For decentralized governance, the local government participation would be desirable. The gender advocates must be committed persons to champion this long term process.

The process of gender mainstreaming must go beyond producing gender responsive PRSPs to actual implementation of programmes that address the issues noted. This should be facilitated by including gender responsive performance indicators in the PRSP indicators.

ANNEXES

Annex I Useful definitions and concepts

Budget

This is a plan of financial operation that consists of an estimate of proposed expenditures for a financial year and the proposed means of financing them. A budget can also be understood as a statement of resource allocation and a tool that helps to communicate goals, coordinate actions and provide benchmarks for measuring performance throughout the financial year.

Fiscal Policy

This is a deliberate change in the level, composition or timing of government expenditures or equally any change in the burden, structure or frequency of the tax regime.

Gender

This refers to socially and culturally defined roles, attributes, and privileges of females and males. There exist biological differences between women and men but different societies in the world interpret and engineer the innate (God-made) differences into a set of social expectations about behaviours, activities, rights, power, and resources they have. The differences in activities of women and men often change with time, space or technology but there are also interesting similarities for instance caring for the young within a family is almost universally a female role and that of national defense is predominantly for men.

Gender Disaggregated Data

Information relating to qualitative and quantitative aspects of gender inequalities. This information, which includes sex disaggregated data, is especially useful during gender analysis where it is easier to note the inequalities as well as assess the impact of interventions.

Gender and Equity Budgeting

This considers not only the different needs and interests of women, men, boys and girls, but also the differences among various socio-economic groups and regions. For example, it takes into account the differences in needs and interests of rural and urban, rich and poor, young and old, and those with disabilities and those without.

Gender equality

It may be understood in three dimensions: equality before and under the law; equality of opportunity in economic, political, social and other fields; and equality in dignity (internal worth) of the person between women and men.

Gender Issue

This is a statistical or social indicator of inequality between males and females arising from discrimination and/or marginalization within society. These are problems of wide concern relating to equality of women and men in any social or economic role.

Gender Mainstreaming

A strategy to ensure that gender analysis is used to incorporate men and women's needs, constraints and potentials into all development policies and strategies in all stages of policy/programme design.

Gender Roles

This involves allocation of certain tasks predominantly to women and others to men, although both may do some. The roles are differently evaluated and rewarded. Gender roles unlike sex roles are not universal but are socially constructed and change with time and situations.

Gender Relations

These are the social relations between women and men that depend on the roles ascribed to them by society. These relations are expressed in different ways, places and times.

Gender Responsive

Aware of gender concepts, disparities or concerns and their causes, and takes concrete action to address and overcome gender based inequalities.

Macro-economics

This is the study of the relationships between broad economic aggregates seeking to explain the changes in those aggregates through time. It attempts to understand and...