Economic Development Poverty Reduction Strategy: a case study

1. Economic Development Poverty Reduction Strategy: a case study Presentation to the 29th Triennial Conference of the International Federation of University Women Dr Shirley Randell AM

2. The process: • Backward Looking Review (Joint Sector Reviews) March – June 2006 • Forward Looking EDPRS planning July – December 2006 • Logframe development January – June 2007 • Draft EDPRS 2008-2012 July – December 2007

3. Current Data

4. Key Facts :Reproductive Health Rights

5. Key Facts – Education

6. Key Facts - Health

7. Key Facts : Employment & Labour

8. What does this mean ? • Tackling women’s poverty should be top of the agenda – there are at least 2.7 million women and girls living below Rwanda’s poverty line. • 36.9% of these will be living on less than Fr.175 per day. • The huge majority of women live in rural areas where they divide their time between low-productivity agriculture and domestic chores • Every women of child-bearing age will spend an average of four and a half years pregnant and five and a half years breastfeeding. She will have 6.1 children. • A rural girl child has a one in seven chance of reaching age 7 years and a 7% chance of going to secondary school.

9. What are the gender priorities for the EDPRS ? Gender is a cross-cutting issue in the EDPRS… …..this is a good thing because it means that issues of concern to women’s development enter the mainstream of national policy in all sectors.

10. Gender checklist for the EDPRS • Women are enabled to exercise their reproductive health rights • The range of employment, business and financial services is expanded and differential levels of male & female participation are addressed • Girls gain better educational achievements and adult women’s literacy rates are improved • Women’s role in agriculture is enhanced by policy changes and practical support – with special emphasis on productivity rises in food crop production and access to markets • Vision 2020’s objective of gender equality is made possible by careful attention to policy and law – that progressively protects women and provides a platform for them to achieve equality with men.

11. But this will not be sufficient • We also need action by the Ministry of Gender and the new Gender Observatory that will : • Advise the sectors / districts on collecting annual gender data in order to check that progress is being made.

12. Publish a 2007 gender status baseline report with annual updates based on Sector / District returns and a summary statement in the annual EDPRS review and in the NEPAD review • Establish a network of approved gender analysis specialists who can be contracted by Sectors /Districts to assist them with their gender policy, implementation and monitoring • 4. Develop gender disaggregated budgets and report through the Joint Budget Support Review; the District Performance Contracts, and the Minister of Finance’s annual budget presentation to Parliament.

13. What can RAUW do ? • Ask for the annual data and analysis to be collected and published • Ask for a gender disaggregated budget to be presented to Parliament annually • Learn how to use data and budget information, ask tough questions and conduct research to fill gaps