GENDER ISSUES RELEVANT TO ADB’S OPERATIONS

Conceptual Issues
This section highlights some of the points that are critical for the conceptual understanding of
gender issues in any social context and should inform all gender frameworks. The gender strategy of
the Asian Development Bank (ADB) should also take the following points into account and reflect
them in its operations.
Gender disparities are not determined by economic forces alone but these are also
ideological and culture-specific. That is why the countries that rank low in the Gender Development
Index are not necessarily resource-poor. Development with the overriding objective of economic
growth does not necessarily ensure the equal distribution of benefits as the production processes
thrive on profit created by gender relations. Thus it continues to create disparities along the lines of
class, gender, and ethnicity (Pakistan is a case in point). The development paradigm that considers
people as productive capital assets for economic efficiency may bring the desired results in economic
terms but is inept to meet the social goal of gender equity and social justice. Economic growth is a
necessary condition for gender equality but not sufficient in itself. Therefore, a shift from a
production-oriented view of development towards a rights-based approach is imperative from the
equity point of view. High investment in human capital within the framework of a rights-based
approach will ensure sustainable high economic returns, as well as greater gender equality and social
progress.
Women are active agents in the productive and reproductive spheres; however, the
interconnection of production and reproduction in their lives is largely ignored by various
development paradigms. The focus is either on their reproductive roles by sex-role stereotypes or an
overemphasis on their productive roles at the expense of complete omission of their greater grounding
in familial roles. The overemphasis on one aspect of women’s lives needs to be avoided to give them
support in both roles and to integrate them fully in the production and accumulation processes.
Gender is a determining factor in placing women in a subordinate position vis-à-vis men;
however, women’s access to resources, power, and authority is determined by the interconnection of
their gender with other social relationships. Not all women are poor or lack access to social services
or resources. Women’s access to resources is dependent on their positions in other social relationships
such as class, race, ethnicity, etc. A holistic understanding of women's lives and their connection with
other forms of inequalities is imperative for the success of any development initiative aimed at
bringing social change in women’s lives. The framework of social relationships in analyzing gender
could be a useful tool in this regard.
Creating equal opportunities for men and women will not automatically result in gender
equity. Men and women have different degrees of embodiment due to gender role ideology. Women’s
subordinate position in social relationships with the exclusive responsibility for reproductive roles has
implications for their ability to exploit choices and make use of the opportunities created for them. In
order to ensure the equality of results, it is important to address the systemic nature of gender
inequalities and engendering of the social, economic, and political institutions/structures that continue
to create and recreate gender inequalities in spite of affirmative actions. The transformation of public
institutions for substantive equality will demand political rather than technical solutions.
30 Country Briefing Paper—Women in Pakistan
Gender is one of ADB’s five stated strategic development objectives (SDOs) along with
economic development, poverty reduction, human development including population planning, and
sound management of natural resources and the environment. With ADB’s adoption of the gender and
development policy in 1998, gender is now a crosscutting theme in all projects and programs of ADB.
Gender inequalities and women’s subordination will have implications for the success of all the
efforts that will be made in each strategic area to achieve the desired results. Without investing in
women to make them as equally productive as men, economic efficiency/development cannot be
achieved. Similarly, poverty is a cause and effect of gender inequality. Poverty reduction efforts need
to focus on women as they are the poorest of the poor. Women are less endowed with productive
assets than men. Therefore, women should be given priority in human development investment.
Women manage natural resources. They are thus the natural partners in the management of natural
resources and environment. Successful achievement of the five SDOs will depend on the adequacy of
gender focus by the ADB.
Pakistan’s Development Experience and Gender Issues
Pakistan’s economic history is full of economic experimentation. Pakistan inherited an
agricultural economy with an extremely narrow industrial base at the time of independence. During
the early period of 1947–1958, Pakistan was busy settling the influx of refugees into the country.
During this period, the economy had an average annual gross national product (GNP) growth rate of
3.2 percent. The period of 1958–1968 was dominated by the military regime of Ayub Khan who was
inclined towards a private sector and market-based economy. Rapid industrialization based on importsubstitution
of consumer goods was central to the development strategy. The tariff structure and the
patronage provided to the private sector led to the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few. The
Ayub Khan era was marked with high economic growth rates. It was also associated with increasing
income disparities. The social sector was largely neglected and dependence on foreign capital inflow
was great. The democratic regime of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (1970–1977) shifted the focus from
privatization to nationalization of basic public institutions and industries. The rate of growth of
agriculture and industry was adversely affected during this period due to inconsistent domestic
policies of nationalization. A civil war led to the division of the country and the loss of half of the
export market and one fifth of import source, followed by price hikes. The difference between importexport
growth also led to the country’s dependence on foreign loans. The military regime of Zia-ul-
Haq (1997–1988) had to face a growth crisis as well as a fiscal and payments crisis. He reversed
Bhutto’s nationalization policy and the successive regimes are also committed to market approaches
and policies of liberalization and deregulation.
With these shifting perspectives, approaches, and strategies to development in the past
50 years, economic growth remained fundamental to development efforts in Pakistan. Despite the
consistent growth of the economy at an average rate of 6 percent per annum since 1960, the social
sector indicators lag far behind other Asian developing countries due to the missing link between
human development and economic growth in the conceptual understanding of development
policymakers and planners in Pakistan. In recent years women have suffered more as the relationship
between human capital and sustainable economic growth became part of development thinking.
Pakistan’s development experience has led to inequalities along the lines of class and gender.
Development policies and programs have different impacts on men and women. There are glaring
gender disparities in women’s access to education, health, economic resources, and political
participation in decision-making bodies at the family, community, and national levels. The current
economic crisis and adjustment program has given rise to incidences of poverty. Women constitute 60
percent of the poor.
Gender Issues Relevant to ADB’s Operations 31
Development planning moved from a welfare to an efficiency approach from 1950 to 1970
towards women’s development. The former sees women essentially as beneficiaries of development
and the latter as producers and active agents in development. Nevertheless, both approaches fail to
understand the complexity and interconnectedness of women’s multiple roles in the productive and
reproductive spheres and in the social and cultural context, which shape the realities of their lives.
Country Strategy and Gender Issues
Summary of ADB’s Operational Strategy in Pakistan
The main thrust of ADB’s Country Operational Strategy (COS) for Pakistan approved in
1995 was human resource development (HRD) and economic growth with the main focus on
generating employment for the rapidly growing labor force, and reducing gender inequalities,
poverty, and environmental degradation.
Pakistan’s decision to go nuclear, followed by the imposition of economic sanctions by the
G-7 countries in early June 1998, and the freezing of foreign currency accounts to conserve foreign
exchange, created severe economic hardships for the country. The difficulties the
Government faced in servicing foreign debts led ADB to review, reassess, and readjust its operational
framework to respond to the new economic environment.
The Country Operational Framework (COF), 1999–2000, proposes that ADB’s assistance in
Pakistan should focus on the following.
(i) Improved economic efficiency and export growth: The framework prioritizes
finance, trade and industry, energy, agriculture and natural resources, and transport
for ADB assistance to achieve the above-mentioned SDOs. It suggests the
restructuring of these sectors by removing existing policy distortions and introducing
the necessary policy reforms to enhance economic efficiency and export potentials of
these sectors, and to respond to the country’s economic needs.
(ii) Human and social development: This will be primarily through the continuous
support of ADB for improved quality, efficiency, and access in the SAP sectors.
ADB will continue to be committed to SAP ll. Additionally, its projects in agriculture
and natural resources, social infrastructure, finance, and industry will positively
impact on poverty reduction in Pakistan.
(iii) Governance and institutional strengthening: Poor governance has emerged as a
critical crosscutting issue in Pakistan. Improvement in governance will be achieved
through ADB’s assistance in institutional reforms and capacity building of NGOs.
The COF also proposed to undertake studies and activities for the new COS for the period
commencing 2001 during the framework period 1999–2000.
The objectives of the COF are consistent with the Agenda 2010 that includes export,
governance, and social services as some of the key areas of state intervention and also with the
Government’s approach to the Ninth Plan (1998–2003). The overall policy shift in the Ninth Plan is
from import-substitution industrialization to export-led industrialization. The key elements of the
approach include (i) maintenance of fiscal deficit at a sustainable level; (ii) achievement of potential
growth and enhancement of the potential itself; (iii) investment in physical infrastructure especially
ports, railways, pipelines, roads, and telecommunications; (iv) export-led industrialization and
32 Country Briefing Paper—Women in Pakistan
growth; (v) efficient water market; (vi) continued investment in people, especially women and
children; (vii) respect for environmental concerns; (viii) discovery of regional comparative
advantages and encouragement of the private sector; (ix) the buildup of an integrated social security
system; and (x) presentation of an unambiguous perspective on state, civil society, and economy.1
Gender Issues and the Country Operational Framework
Before addressing gender issues in the COF, one general point needs to be made that is
relevant to the overall conceptual framework of the COF.
The primary focus of the COF 1999–2000, is improved economic efficiency, while human
development issues and governance are the two other major areas of ADB’s strategy in Pakistan. The
fragmentation of development into economic growth/efficiency and human resource development is
conceptually in conflict with the view that economic growth without equity cannot qualify as
development. The interconnection of growth and human development is so central to sustainable
economic growth that they can no longer be stated in terms of hierarchy. These two objectives need
to be stated in parallel rather than in hierarchical fashion. Deepening the understanding of the
interrelationship between economic efficiency and human development would lead to the integration
of the social development perspective in programs and projects aimed at economic growth and
efficiency.
Improved Economic Efficiency and Export Performance
The conceptual issues outlined for ADB in the chapter on Gender Issues need to be fully
integrated in its operations in Pakistan. For this purpose the proposed project proposals must be
scrutinized for gender impact assessment and gender performance indicators prior to a loan being
approved by ADB.
Since the COF proposes improved economic efficiency and export performance through
appropriate structural changes in finance, trade and industry, energy, agriculture and natural
resources, and transport, these issues merit serious consideration in planning interventions.
The export promotion policy should be developed cautiously with greater sensitivity and
awareness to the issue of food security. Export-driven policies especially in the agriculture sector may
lead to reduction in land use for food grain production in favor of commercial crops that will erode
food security and accentuate poverty in the country and negatively impact on the poor in general and
women in particular. It is also important to identify export industries where women have been
traditionally working. The export potential of these industries should be promoted through upgrading
of women’s training skills so that they could also be direct beneficiaries of the planning directions of
ADB to promote exports for economic efficiency.
Since the majority of women in Pakistan are working in agriculture and in the informal sector
of the economy, they are neither covered nor protected by labor laws. Therefore, there is a strong
possibility that women will be further exploited by the private sector, which is usually concerned with
a high rate of profit at the expense of labor’s well-being. Similarly, the policies of liberalization of
trade and economy have a different impact on men and women. Again, gender impact assessment will
protect the poor and women from the negative impact of such policies.
1 Planning Commission (1996), “Approach to the Ninth Plan 1998–2003,” Islamabad, pp.1–4.
Gender Issues Relevant to ADB’s Operations 33
An impact assessment of the proposed privatization and commercialization of the Karachi
Electric Supply Corporation and the Water and Power Development Authority should be undertaken
from an equity point of view to mitigate any adverse effects on consumers, especially the poor and
women.
In the agriculture and natural resource sector, the focus on the rural poor and women will
yield long-term benefits in terms of growth and efficiency. The majority of people in rural areas lack
access to productive resources such as land, water, agricultural technologies, credit, etc. Big
landholdings and repressive tenancy laws continue to dominate the agriculture sector in Pakistan.
Inefficient utilization of land and water resources is a major problem in agriculture. ADB initiatives
towards removal of policy distortion should also address the issue of effective implementation of land
reforms and changes in tenancy arrangement. The ownership and control of women and the rural poor
of productive assets warrant efficiency in the agriculture sector.
Women are the key players in the agriculture sector. Almost 12 million women are
economically active in this sector. They are actively engaged in the production of crops, vegetables,
and livestock. The cotton crop, which accounts for half of the export earnings of the country, is
heavily dependent on female labor. Women exclusively do the cotton picking. The quality of cotton is
largely dependent on cotton picking. Cotton is also highly prone to pest and diseases; therefore, it is
frequently sprayed with pesticides. Women are usually not aware of the health hazards related to the
use of pesticides. They need to be involved as planners and beneficiaries in all projects related to
credit and pest management.
Gender issues in credit programs need to be analyzed and stated clearly. Women in Pakistan
have extremely limited access to formal and informal sources due to the underlying assumption that
their primary roles are in the reproductive sphere. Credit offered within the broader objectives of
poverty reduction does not address the issues of women’s access, participation, and control over
resources. Credit provision without supportive services in new marketable skills, advisory and
consultative services, and assistance in designing and marketing, will push women to generate income
through their traditional skills. It may help to reduce poverty at the household level, but this will not
contribute towards women’s economic and overall empowerment.
Human and Social Development
In the given situation of economic crisis and the cut in the public sector development program
(PSDP) from Rs110 billion to Rs98 billion, which is one of the conditions in the Enhanced Structural
Adjustment Facility of the International Monetary Fund program, the continuous support of ADB to
SAP ll is highly appropriate. In view of the low impact of SAP l on the basic social indicators, SAP ll
will focus more on quality.2
Along with quality issues in SAP ll, it is important to understand the issue of women’s access
to social services, which is not entirely dependent on the supply side factor. Rather, it is determined
by a complex interplay of cultural, social, and economic forces. Gender disparities in the social sector
are not the result of lack or absence of service provisions alone but are also due to sociocultural
determinants of women’s access to them. Therefore, gender issues in the social sector cannot be
addressed at the practical level alone. Gender awareness at the project level needs to be translated into
gender planning of policies and programs so it could address structural issues that constrain women’s
access to social services.
2 See Table 4.
34 Country Briefing Paper—Women in Pakistan
Without an integrated gender framework that recognizes the interplay of cultural, social, and
economic forces in women’s access to social services, SAP ll will not be able to achieve the
maximum utilization of social services. Thus the opportunity cost to provide basic social services to
women will remain high. Therefore, SAP ll needs to go beyond dealing with gender issues at the
project level and must embark on strategic gender planning at the macrolevel to bridge the gender gap
in access to basic social services.
Lack of access to social services is an important dimension of poverty. However, women’s
development should not be confined to the social sector alone. ADB should supplement its support to
SAP ll with additional initiatives to address women’s strategic interests in the social sector and
beyond.
Governance and Institutional Strengthening
Poor governance has been rightly recognized as a critical crosscutting issue in the COF.
ADB’s governance-related assistance is mainly for institutional reform and capacity building of
NGOs.
Good governance does not necessarily mean the removal of disparities along the lines of
gender, class, race, and ethnicity. Since women are virtually invisible in governance structures, it is
important that ADB’s assistance create space for their voices to be heard and their perspective to be
integrated in proposed institutional reforms for various sectors.
It is suggested that ADB include MWD in its priority areas for institutional reform and
capacity building.
Accountability is an essential component of good governance, which is largely dependent on
a stronger civil society. Capacity building of NGOs will contribute to strengthening civil society and
consequent improvement in governance. However, the civil society or NGO sector must not be seen
as homogeneous. The relationship between the women’s movement and civil society in Pakistan is
quite problematic because the concept of civil society, within which the women’s movement is
embedded, is itself a construct emanating from patriarchal arrangements.3 Therefore, NGOs where
women are leaders must be included in the capacity-building projects of ADB.
ADB’s Gender Strategy for Pakistan
This section will propose a gender strategy for ADB in Pakistan. It is based on four pillars,
i.e., gender integration, gender mainstreaming, building a database on women, and strengthening civil
society. Within each of these pillars, issues are further identified and actions for ADB are proposed.
Table 8 summarizes the priority areas for ADB on gender and development in Pakistan.
Gender Integration
The main thrust of ADB’s gender strategy for Pakistan should be to engender the preparation
of the country operational strategy. Instead of supporting gender programs in entirely different
sectors, it is proposed that all the programs and projects within the guiding principal areas identified
in the 1999–2000 COF–improving economic efficiency and export performance, human and social
development, governance and institutional strengthening–should integrate gender concerns into the
3 Farzana Bari and Saba Gul Khatak (1999), “Women’s Movement Response to Power Configuration in the
State and the Society” (unpublished paper).
Gender Issues Relevant to ADB’s Operations 35
design and implementation of reform measures and monitoring programs. To operationalize gender
integration, each loan proposal of ADB for Pakistan should undergo the following stages: (i) gender
impact assessment of the project proposal, (ii) development of project-specific gender strategy, and
(iii) development of gender performance indicators.
Table 8: Priority Areas for ADB’s Promotion of Gender and Development in Pakistan
Priority Area Loan Technical Assistance/
Economic Sector Work
Gender Integration
Feminization of
poverty
Credit for women
Vocational skills training
Financial support to SAP II
Gender impact assessment of
SAP I
Developing gender performance
indicators for SAP II
Increasing political
participation of women
Electoral reforms
Training and political education programs
for political activists
International research study on
comparative analysis of electoral
systems and women’s political
participation
Protecting women from
violence
Establishing shelters for women
Gender training of judiciary and police
Judicial and police reforms
Shelter reform in the public and private
sectors
Gender
Mainstreaming
Engendering ADB’s
operations in Pakistan
Developing a system of gender rating to
select the project for funding
Gender impact assessment of ADB’s
country operational framework before
its adoption
Gender impact assessment of structural
adjustment programs
Gender impact assessment of trade
liberalization policies
Gender impact assessment of
privatization of institutions that provide
basic utilities
Building a Database
on Women
Gender auditing of the budget
Annual gender audit to map out the
position of Pakistani women in all areas of
life
Strengthening Civil
Society
Developing women’s cooperatives Developing generic accounting and
information management systems for
NGOs
Capacity Building of
Women’s
Development
Machinery in
Pakistan
Training staff in the Ministry of Women’s
Development, provincial departments of
women’s development, and focal points in
ministries in gender management skills
Developing/promoting and capacity
building of women’s study centers in the
public and private sectors
Developing national policy on women
Capacity building of women’s study
resource persons
36 Country Briefing Paper—Women in Pakistan
In view of the lack of political commitment to gender issues in Pakistan, it would be useful if
the release of loan installments were linked to the periodic monitoring reports and progress made
against performance indicators, especially along the lines of gender. This will ensure that women
equally benefit from ADB’s operations in Pakistan even when there are no gender-specific projects. It
will also avoid the marginalizing gender programs and push gender concerns from the margin of the
social sector to the center of aid assistance in all sectors, including economic and political sectors.
To address critical issues faced by women in Pakistan mentioned under the chapter on
Critical Issues for Women in Pakistan, some of the following gender-specific projects, technical
assistance, and economic and sector work should also be funded within three broad areas of ADB’s
operations, i.e., the feminization of poverty, governance, and violence against women. These are
described below.
1. Critical Issue: Feminization of Poverty
ADB’s Priority Area: Improving Economic Efficiency and Export Performance
Possible Projects/Technical Assistance/Economic and Sector Work
• Training and skill development programs for women
• Extension services for women in agriculture
• Establishment of women’s cooperatives
• Microcredit for women
• Advisory and counseling services for women
• Hostels for working women
• Affordable child care centers
• Employment opportunities for women to avoid increase in the incidence of
poverty
• Employment opportunities for women in nontraditional areas
• Assessing impact of adjustment programs on women
• Gender impact assessment of policies for export promotion and privatization
• Provision of social safety nets for women
2. Critical Issue: Political Participation
ADB’s Priority Area: Governance and Institutional Strengthening
Possible Projects/Technical Assistance/Economic and Sector Work
• Political education and training programs for women
• Electoral reforms
• Voters’ education
• Gender sensitization programs for politicians
• Support to affirmative actions for women’s political participation and
representation
• Strengthening local government and women’s role in it
• Research studies on women and politics
3. Critical Issue: Violence Against Women
ADB’s Priority Area: Human and Social Development
Possible Projects/Technical Assistance/Economic and Sector Work
Gender Issues Relevant to ADB’s Operations 37
• Data collection and research studies on violence against women
• Support initiatives to introduce and enforce legislation on violence against
women
• Support services to survivors of violence
• Gender training programs for police, judiciary, and media
Mainstreaming Gender
Mainstreaming gender issues into policies and development programs should be the key
planning strategy in ADB’s efforts to promote gender equity in Pakistan. This will not only improve
women’s status but will also contribute to the national, social, and economic development of the
country. ADB can make it operational at two levels: (i) by ensuring that gender considerations are
fully taken into account in each of its own loans; and (ii) by supporting and strengthening the
institutional capacity of the Government for gender mainstreaming. Concrete suggestions for gender
mainstreaming are outlined for five sectors legal reform, microfinance, integrated rural development,
urban development, and education.
There are three essential components of gender mainstreaming:
(i) positive policy environment,
(ii) political commitment, and
(iii) technical knowledge to integrate and mainstream gender in projects and programs.
Gender is one of ADB’s five SDOs. Its gender and development policy paper clearly provides
guidance and direction to integrate and mainstream gender considerations into its activities, including
macroeconomic and sector work, and lending and technical assistance operations. However, the
vision in this policy paper has not been converted into reality. Gender analysis of sector loans is
hardly undertaken in either the pre-implementation or post-implementation phase. Contrary to ADB’s
goal of a 50:50 mix between traditional growth projects and those addressing social and
environmental concerns, only one program on women’s health was included in lending operations in
Pakistan for 1999. As far as other programs for 1999 are concerned, no efforts were made to assess
how these are going to benefit women and how women’s participation can be ensured in planning and
implementing these programs. The project documents lacked project-related gender strategy.
Removal of Policy Distortions
Weak governance has been recognized as a key structural cause for the failure of
development policies and programs by both government and funding agencies in Pakistan. The
Government commits itself to addressing the crisis of governance through institutional reforms,
clearly stated in the Pakistan 2010 program. Therefore, there is common ground between the
objective of the ADB’s COF and the Government’s development plan of 2010 on improving
governance. ADB is well placed to include and promote gender in the general policy dialogue for
sector reforms.
The COF 1999–2000 particularly focuses on policy reform and capacity building.
Strengthening institutional capacity to mainstream gender issues into all sectors of society should be
another important element in the gender strategy for Pakistan.
38 Country Briefing Paper—Women in Pakistan
ADB is paying considerable attention to the policy environment in which projects are
formulated as it strongly impacts on the success of its projects. Thus it should also enter into a policy
dialogue with the Government on gender issues. Presently, the policy context for women in Pakistan
is fairly conflicting and contradictory. On the one hand there are positive policy
measures/commitment in the shape of the ratified CEDAW and official launching of the NPA by the
Prime Minister on 14 August 1998; on the other hand, certain Islamic legislation clearly discriminates
against women. Thus the policy context for women in Pakistan is riddled with conflict. The presence
of oppressive laws invalidates any progressive social policy on women. ADB can play an important
role in supporting efforts of other funding agencies and civil society that are trying to bring
consistency in the policy context for women in Pakistan.
Capacity Building of Ministry of Women’s Development
MWD is the key institution for the advancement of women in Pakistan. However, it has failed
to perform its function effectively. This is because of several factors, which include the lack of
political clout, weak coordination with other line ministries, and lack of institutional capacity.
One of the determining factors in the poor performance of MWD is its lack of technical
know-how to integrate gender issues into national policies, plans, and programs. There is a critical
need to develop the capacity of in-house professional staff of MWD in gender analysis, gender
planning, policy appraisal, gender impact assessment, gender budgeting and accounting, etc. This
would ensure that they plan and monitor development initiatives in the country and that decisions are
made with a gender perspective.
Strengthening Provincial Women’s Development Departments
At the provincial level there are women’s development departments. These departments also
implement and monitor some of the Federal Government’s national level projects in the provinces.
The performance of these departments is no different than a ministry at the federal level because of
lack of institutional capacity to promote and implement gender-related programs and projects at the
national and provincial levels. Capacity building of women’s development departments at the
provincial level in gender management skills will help mainstream gender in Pakistan.
There is a lack of coordination between the federal MWD and provincial women’s
development departments. It has been observed that the federal MWD starts development schemes in
the provinces without consulting provincial governments. After the completion of development
schemes, provincial governments do not take any responsibility for the recurring costs. As a result,
federal schemes suffer from lack of financial resources at the provincial level. It is imperative for the
effective use of financial resources that women’s development programs are well coordinated
between federal and provincial governments.
Focal Points in Line Ministries
Gender integration and mainstreaming at the national level is heavily dependent on strong
coordination between line ministries and provincial departments. MWD needs to build its capacity to
establish horizontal and vertical linkages and provide technical support to the gender focal points in
other ministries. Line ministries and provincial departments must recognize that women’s concerns
are not the responsibility of MWD alone.
Out of 26 focal points established in line ministries, none had a background in women’s
development. On the request of MWD, each ministry has made one person as a focal point. However,
Gender Issues Relevant to ADB’s Operations 39
no efforts are being made to develop the capacity of these focal points to enable them to perform their
job well. Therefore, it is highly recommended that the capacity building of focal points for gender in
various ministries be given priority in ADB’s agenda for institution building in Pakistan.
Development of a National Policy on Women
Presently, there is no national policy on women, although there are statements on women’s
development in the NPA and in the Ninth Plan. ADB should offer support through its technical
assistance program to help MWD formulate a national policy on women. It is important to have a
clearly defined policy on women that recognizes the multiplicity of women’s roles in the productive
and reproductive spheres. The framework of social relations should be used in the national policy
document to guide the Government’s development policies and programs to rectify the gender
imbalance in all sectors of the society.
Building a Database on Women
The third element of the strategy should be to build a database on women that will not only
establish the evidence of gender discrimination and disparities, but also help to prioritize areas of
policy interventions. ADB is already working to strengthen the capacity of the government statistics
office to do household surveys and to collect gender-disaggregated socio-economic development
data. ADB’s support towards filling information gaps and establishing mechanisms for collecting and
collating information on women will play a strategic role in establishing facts about women and
provide the legitimacy needed to redirect resources towards women’s development.
Supporting initiatives such as gender auditing of the budget and annual gender audit to map
women’s position in all areas of life could help to increase and redirect financial resources to those
areas where women are lagging behind.
Strengthening Civil Society
ADB should recognize the interconnection of poor governance and a weak civil society,
which reinforce each other. A weak civil society is unable to generate public pressure on the
Government to increase its commitment in the social development sector.
NGOs working as catalysts in community development are growing in number. It is difficult
to assess the exact number of NGOs working in Pakistan as they are registered under five different
laws. The number quoted in different studies varies from 8,000 to 35,000.4 A study undertaken by
UNDP in 1991 covered 4,833 registered NGOs. Women were identified as the target population by
50.9 percent of the NGOs.
Capacity building of NGOs that are working towards gender equity—especially those led by
women with grassroots orientation—should be the key approach in strengthening civil society. ADB
should also support development projects that encourage women to form groups, organizations, and
cooperatives.
Women’s study centers could play an important role in generating knowledge that is essential
for the promotion of gender equity. Centers for women’s studies would provide a space to reflect on
local experiences in the field of development and would help to develop indigenous theoretical
models based on the local socioeconomic context. The growth of civil society is hampered by the lack
4 Simi Kamal (1997), “Country Report: Pakistan,” Study of NGOs in Nine Asian Countries, p. 4.
40 Country Briefing Paper—Women in Pakistan
of understanding on gender issues among activists in social movements. Institutions of women’s
studies can play a strategic role in producing knowledge and understanding on gender issues that can
be used by civil society in their struggle for social change. The support to develop the institutional
capacity of women’s study centers will go a long way toward legitimizing gender discourse and
creating a knowledge base for gender equity.
Gender Concerns in ADB’s Project Pipeline for Pakistan
This section undertakes an indicative gender analysis of selected projects in the pipeline for
2000–2002 only. ADB’s program evolves on a yearly basis to best address the needs of the
Government. The list of gender issues and proposed interventions for integration of women’s
concerns is by no means exhaustive. It is indicative and emphasizes that there is always scope for
gender integration in all projects, even in those that appear to traditionally belong to men. The
analysis below, by sector and by proposed project (where relevant), indicates gender issues that need
to be taken into account for the sector.
Sector: Legal Reform
Proposed Project: Legal and Judicial Reform Sector Development Program Loan (2001)
Scope: The loan will focus on the problems of inefficiencies in the legal and judicial system,
including court congestion and the inefficient delivery of legal services. This will entail addressing key
policy and structural issues that perpetuate the current inefficiencies in the system. The project will,
among other things, cover court administration and case management including introduction of an
efficient management information system in the courts, accountability of the judiciary, legal education
and training, strengthening of ministries in the federation and provinces, improving access to justice
including induction of more women judges particularly in the family courts, and an improved legal
information system to enhance transparency and create efficiency.
Gender Issues
• Gender imbalance in the judiciary
• Gender biases of the judiciary
• Women’s lack of knowledge about their rights
• Women’s lack of knowledge about legal procedures
• Limited number of family courts
• Delay in matrimonial cases
• Women’s inability to pay court and lawyer’s fees
• Lack of seating area for women clients in courtrooms
• Lack of toilets for women
Areas of Intervention for Gender Integration
• Judicial reform review should include women and gender perspective
• Redressing gender imbalance in the judiciary by hiring more female judges
• Gender training for the judiciary
• Gender disaggregated information on court cases/information
• Free legal aid
• More family courts
• Speedy justice by disposing cases of matrimonial disputes within six months
Gender Issues Relevant to ADB’s Operations 41
• Creating women-friendly space by building separate waiting rooms and toilets for
ladies
Sector: Microfinance
Proposed Project: Rural Microfinance (2001)
Scope: Likely project components include a credit line to NGOs and small financial
institutions (SFIs) for onlending to the poor and near-poor people for development of
microenterprises; strengthening NGOs and SFIs to provide viable, small-scale financial services to
individuals and groups of the poor; and strengthening the capability of provincial
development/cooperative banks in monitoring and supervising NGOs and SFIs.
Gender Issues
• Male bias among NGOs in favor of male borrowers
• Lack of marketable skills among rural women
• Lack of entrepreneurial experience among rural women
• Women’s restricted mobility and lack of access to market
• Lack of confidence and willingness to apply for credit for microenterprise
• Male biases among the staff of provincial development/cooperative banks
Areas of Intervention for Gender Integration
• Ensuring the gender balance among borrowers
• Availability of credit for income-generating activities as well
• Counseling the clients and helping them undertake feasibility study for the proposed
microenterprise
• Provision of support services such as skills development, training, enterprise
management, marketing, costing, accounting, quality control, and provision of
infrastructure and favorable local, national, and international policy environment
• Undertaking market studies to identify viable microenterprises and skills needed by
women
• Conducting research in efficiency and problems of small-scale enterprises for women
and areas that need institutional support
• Advocacy for policy support from the Government for small-scale enterprises
• Gender training of NGOs and bank staff
• Encouraging women’s cooperatives
Sector: Integrated Rural Development
Proposed Project: NWFP Barani Area Development (Phase II) (2000)
Scope: Patterned after the successful first phase project, and subject to the findings of the
technical assistance, the components include rural roads, rehabilitation of irrigation systems, rural
credit, market and village level development, and community organizations.
42 Country Briefing Paper—Women in Pakistan
Gender Issues:
• Women’s exclusion from infrastructure development projects due to gender
stereotypes of women’s concern with the home
• Male-dominated community organizations
• Women’s lack of access to rural credit
Areas of Intervention for Gender Integration
• Gender impact assessment of phase 1 of the project
• Ensuring women’s involvement in community organizations
• Involving women in the decision-making processes of projects related to roads and
rehabilitation of irrigation systems
• Ensuring women’s access to rural credit
• Including women in needs assessment and development priorities of their village
Sector: Water Supply
Proposed Projects: Punjab Water Resources Sector (2000) and
Quetta Water Supply and Sanitation (2001)
Scope: The Punjab project will comprise a policy component to strengthen implementation of
the reforms aimed at developing more autonomous and accountable management institutions and an
infrastructure component comprising upgrading of the Marala Ravi Link Canal and other canal
infrastructure. The Quetta project will focus on the better management of water resources by
conservation and development in the Quetta Basin.
Gender Issues
• Women’s work and need for water
• Women’s lack of access and control over productive resources such as water
• Rural women not being seen as stakeholders due to gender role ideology
• Role of women in family decision-making on water utilization
• Increased productivity and rural income impacting positively on rural poverty
• Women being left out to make use of opportunities created by the project due to their
social position
• Improperly placed water having an adverse impact on women
Areas of Intervention for Gender Integration
• Gender and poverty impact assessment of the project, e.g., location, access, and
willingness to pay
• Assessing women’s needs/interest in the project and encouraging them to get
involved in determining location, access, prices, etc.
• Creating employment opportunities for women in water facilities, maintenance, and
management
• Ensuring sustainability of enhancing female farmers’ access to water for irrigation
and for household purposes
Gender Issues Relevant to ADB’s Operations 43
Sector: Urban Development
Proposed Projects: NWFP Urban Development Sector (2000) and
Punjab Urban Development (2002)
Scope: The NWFP project will cover upgrading of water and sanitation facilities, roads,
drainage, solid waste management, slums, promoting guided land development and housing schemes,
and strengthening the provincial and local government institutions. In the Punjab, the Project will
address deficiencies in urban infrastructure and improve the capacity of local urban councils in
recovering costs and undertaking proper operation and maintenance.
Gender Issues
• Women’s invisibility in local government
• Lack of women’s voices in urban planning
• Deteriorating urban environment leading to ill health and poverty affecting women
more than men due their role as service providers at home
Areas of Intervention for Gender Integration
• Supporting democratic processes/efforts to enhance women’s representation at the
local government level
• Increased women’s awareness about the power and function of local governments
• Political education programs for women
• Encouraging women to organize themselves to voice their concerns in urban planning
• Including women in planning and managing the project
Sector: Education
Proposed Project: Nonformal Education for Rural Women (2002)
Scope: The project will include (i) investment components to design and improve the
delivery of nonformal education program; (ii) microfinance component; and (iii) social development
components, including institutional capacity building and community participation.
Gender Issues
• Social attitudes towards female education
• Time constraint due to burden of triple roles on women
• Availability of support services to enable women to make good use of microfinance
• Sex-segregation and women’s exclusion in community decision-making structures
Areas of Intervention for Gender Integration
• Providing support services, including training in marketable skill development for
women
• Developing culturally appropriate curriculum for nonformal education
44 Country Briefing Paper—Women in Pakistan

source:www.adb.org/Documents/Books/Country_Briefing_Papers/Women_in_Pakistan/chap_04.pdf