MDG reports

1. A QUICK SCAN THROUGH A GENDER LENS MDG reports

2. REPORTS REVIEWED • ASIA (Nepal, Vietnam, Armenia, Saudi) • EUROPE (Poland, Lithuania,Albania) • AFRICA (Egypt, Mauritius, Mozambique, Tanzania, Cameroon) • SOUTH AMERICA (Bolivia)

3. Actors involved in preparing MDGRs • UNCT • National government • Independent consultants - but this factor seems to have little bearing on the way gender is addressed!

4. PARAMETERS FOR REVIEW • Whether gender analysis is reflected in goals other than Goal 3. • Whether women’s concerns are recognised and addressed in Goals other than 3,4 and 5. • For each Goal: whether gender issues and/or women’s concerns are reflected, and how.

5. Case study: Nepal Report jointly prepared by UN System and RGoN. Gender outside Goal 3 • Goal 1: No mention of gender • Goal 2: Gender differential mentioned, but data not disaggregated; burden of housework stated to be cause of drop-out, but no recognition that girls are more affected. • Goal 4: Statement that infant mortality rates do not show a gender differential is highly debatable (2001 data show 30% higher mortality of girls). • Goal 5: ‘Patriarchal values’ and low status of women mentioned as cause of maternal mortality. • Goal 6: Gender inequality identified as challenge. • Goal 7: No mention of gender.

6. Case Study: Nepal Women’s issues outside Goal 3 • Goal 1: No mention of women • Goal 2: No mention of girls • Goal 4: No mention of women • Goal 5: Status of women linked to maternal mortality • Goal 6: Women identified as high-risk group • Goal 7: No mention of women

7. Case study: Nepal Goal 3 • Reporting only against education target. • Good analysis of challenges • ‘Negatively gendered practice and consciousness’ mentioned as constraint. • Government intitiatives criticised as being “weak and spotty”. • Interventions proposed are comprehensive.

8. Case study: Vietnam Prepared by UNCT Gender outside Goal 3 • “Gender-based approach” recommended to reduce maternal mortality. • Gender disparities mentioned as a barrier to achieving universal primary education. • No sex disaggregated data except under Goal 3.

9. Case study: Vietnam Women’s issues outside Goal 3 • Women’s limited powers of decision-making cited as a reason for child malnutrition. • Child mortality section mentions that “mothers lack knowledge of childcare”. • Women stated to be more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.

10. Case study: Vietnam Gender in Goal 3 • Reports only on education target. • Higher opportunity cost of educating girls mentioned as a barrier. • Gender stereotypes in textbooks mentioned as a cause of girls “adopting domestic and subservient roles”. • Priorities for development assistance clearly stated. • Provisions of National Action Plan for Women highlighted.

11. PRELIMINARY FINDINGS • Discussion on gender issues is largely confined to Goal 3. Exceptions • Lithuania (Sex disaggregated data under poverty, health goals) • Bolivia (gendered poverty analysis • Tanzania (gendered analysis of HIV epidemic) - In the majority of reports, the word “gender” does not appear after Goal 3!!

12. PRELIMINARY FINDINGS • Almost all reports mention women as specially vulnerable to poverty - but no analysis of why this is so, and what the policy implications are. Exceptions Bolivia

13. PRELIMINARY FINDINGS • In most cases, Goals and indicators have not been ‘localised’ Exceptions Poland (Goal 6 changed to “Expansion of democracy and participation” and health indicator changed to “adult death rates for men and women”)

14. GENDER IN GOAL 3 • 7 out of 13 reports have chosen to limit the analysis to education alone. Exceptions Bolivia (recommendations for action reflect a human poverty perspective) Poland (women’s unpaid work) Mauritius (action plan focuses on women’s poverty) Mozambique (sexual violence and exploitation) Albania (work force participation, access to contraception, political participation) Lithuania (violence, trafficking, political representation)

15. “BEST PRACTICES” • Lithuania : data under Goals 1-5 is disaggregated by sex. • Mauritius : showcasing of National Action Plan on Gender serves to highlight gender issues • Poland : contextualisation of goals and targets • Albania : analysis of discrimination in labour market and politics • Armenia : critique of economic reforms through HD lens • Vietnam: analysis of link between status of women and child malnutrition.

16. IMPRESSIONS • In many reports, different chapters appear to be written by different people – the gendered vision does not permeate the whole document. Needed • A more consultative process? • Consensus on basic principles? • Focused inputs by UN System?

17. IMPRESSIONS • Disaggregated data is not always used even if available. Needed • More clarity in guidelines on use of data? • Focused action by UNCT to strengthen national data collection systems?

18. IMPRESSIONS • In most cases, gender issues seem to hang in a vacuum – historical/cultural context not apparent, ‘lateral’ connections not visible. Needed • Perspective-building on gender for those involved in report preparation? • Expert inputs for gender chapter?

19. UNRESOLVED ISSUES • What is the role of the UNCT in the context of “national ownership”? • What is the purpose of the report and who are the intended readers? • How will the report be used – for instance, will it be converted into other advocacy products? - answers to these questions will have a bearing on the strategy for mainstreaming gender in MDGs