Gender equality Social protection, public services, and infrastructures

1. Gender equality Social protection, public services, and infrastructures Pacific Preparation Meeting to CSW63 - I February 2019 Prepared by Brigitte Leduc

2. Social Protection What is it? A set of policies and programs designed to reduce poverty and vulnerability How? Promoting efficient labour markets Diminishing people’s exposure to risks Enhancing their capacity to protect themselves against hazards and interruption/loss of income ADB, 2003

3. Protection from what? • Natural disasters • Conflicts • Economic downturns • Crop failures • Unemployment • Illness, accident, disability, old age • Death • The poor are more vulnerable to all those risks

4. Social protection? Traditional and informal protection mechanisms • increasingly challenged by urbanisation and industrialization Public interventions • Build human capital = training, employment • To make people more capable to manage risks and recover from it • Provide support to people living in hardship

5. Components of Social Protection • labour markets• social insurance• social assistance or safety nets• micro and area-based approaches• child protection

6. Gender equality, women’s human rights, and social protection • Natural disasters • Conflicts • Economic downturns • Crop failures • Unemployment • Illness, accident, disability, old age • Death • Violence against women • Limited participation in decision making • Limited control over economic assets and more limited access to employment • Sexual and reproductive health issues and NCDs

7. Addressing gender issues = alleviating risks not only for women for their families and communities • What information do we need to be able to develop effective social protection policies and programs? • What partnerships would support the development and implementation of social protection programs effectively • How can gender equality and women’s human rights considerations be mainstreamed throughout social protection policies and strategies • What investments are needed to support equitably the social protection of women – and reduce their vulnerability to risks • What mechanism can ensure social protection programs are benefiting the most vulnerable women and men?

8. Mainstreaming Gender in Public Services Variety of entry points Delivery of public services – are they benefiting women and men equally? - sex disaggregated data and gender statistics/analysis (to identify needs and measures efficiency); enabling institutional environment (how we make decisions; allocation of resources; technical capacity; responsibility and accountability Women’s economic empowerment = public services is the main employer of women in the Pacific Workplace policies: promoting gender equality at all levels; zero tolerance to sexual harassment and gender-based discriminations; working conditions sensitive to parental responsibilities

9. Mainstreaming gender in infrastructures Infrastructure affects development patterns and outcomes, economic opportunities, resources allocations and this can be very different for women and men Not only technical and engineering considerations = who uses infrastructure, for what purposes, how it is paid for, with what impacts on individuals, households, communities Issues of governance World Bank. (2010)

10. Infrastructure • Electricity • Water supply • Sanitation • Maritime transport • Public transport • Road • Shelters • Schools • Hospitals • Markets Impact of infrastructure • Health • Education and training • Information • Mobility • Rights • Violence against women and girls • Women’s economic empowerment • Sexual and reproductive health and rights

11. What information do we need? • What factors put people at risks of hardship or poverty in your country ? Are there areas more at risk? Are there people more at risk? • What are the main gender inequalities in your country? How do these issues contribute to women’s vulnerability ? Which women are more at risk? • What policies, strategies, measures your country has in place to alleviate risks, address gender inequalities, and build women’s resilience? • How gender perspective is taken into account in the public sector and in infrastructure? Are there examples you can draw on? • What are the main challenges in addressing gender issues in your country? • What are your recommendations to address gender inequality for building resilience to women and girls of all diversities throughout their life course in your country? • What would be the best practices – or what are your lessons learned • to develop and implement social protection policies and programs that effectively reduce women’s vulnerabilities to risks? • To deliver public services, including infrastructure, that benefit women and girls of all diversities?

12. References Asia Development Bank. (2003) Social Protection. Our framework policies and strategies. Commonwealth (2009) Secretariat. Gender and Social Protection. Discussion Paper number 3. January 2009. World Bank. (2010) Making Infrastructure work for women and men. A review of World Bank infrastructure projects (1995-2009)