IDB Women, April 1997

(04/97, En, Es)

WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COUNCIL CONVENES IN ARGENTINA

The IDB Advisory Council on Women in Development held its second meeting in conjunction with the March Annual Meeting of the IDB's Board of Governors in Buenos Aires, where it informed the Board of its recommendations to the Bank for further incorporating gender issues. The council recommended that the Bank address such issues in its policy dialogue with member countries in terms that are both substantive and built upon the Beijing Platform. It expressed particular concern for including gender issues in discussions on health, justice, education, and reform of the state. The council commended President Iglesias for his commitment to creating mechanisms which insure that gender issues are systematically incorporated in the preparation and approval of Bank projects.

At its first meeting on August 1, 1995, the council defined five major roles for itself: to underscore the legitimacy of gender issues, to define strategic and sectoral targets for WID efforts, to create incentives and outside pressure for the implementation of WID policy, to strengthen the voice of WID constituents at the highest levels of the Bank's decision-making, and to publicize WID policy at appropriate regional meetings in order to multiply the council's effectiveness.

The council is chaired by the Honorable Billie A. Miller, deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of Barbados. She continues the inspirational leadership of the late Dame Nita Barrow, governor general of Barbados, who was the original chair of the council. Dame Nita Barrow will be deeply missed.

BILINGUAL EDUCATION PROJECT AIMS TO KEEP GIRLS IN SCHOOL

According to a 1992 study, one out of two Guatemalan women cannot read or write, giving the country one of the highest female illiteracy rates in the region. Although only slightly fewer girls than boys register for primary school, almost 70 percent of the girls drop out.

The IDB and the World Bank will expand pilot projects that were designed to keep girls in school and have been supported by USAID, NGOs and the public and private sectors. The banks' Bilingual Education Program will hold workshops on the content of female education for teachers and administrators and prepare and print textbooks and manuals that promote gender awareness in Spanish and regional dialects. It will conduct educational campaigns, establish libraries in rural schools, and work with teachers and parents to promote parents' involvement in their children's learning.

HEALTH AND NUTRITION RESOURCE BOOK

The WID Unit is developing a resource book to incorporate gender concerns into the health and nutrition sector. The book will serve as a guide for developing health programs and policies. For more information, contact Clotilde Charlot at (202) 623-3843.

UPDATE ON WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP AND REPRESENTATION FUND

The WID Unit is moving forward in its effort to establish the Women's Leadership and Representation Fund, which will support initiatives to promote women's increased participation in high-level decision-making in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The financial resources needed to undertake the fund's design have been secured through Norwegian and other donor support. A proposal of the fund's features will be presented to regional and international experts this summer, and the IDB Board is expected to approve the fund this year.

TRAINING PROGRAM FOR WOMEN HEADS OF HOUSEHOLD IN COLOMBIA

The Bank will finance $3.5 million of a technical cooperation project to train low-income Colombian women in skills that will help them to find jobs in the formal and non-formal sectors. This four-year Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) operation is being carried out by Fundación FES of Colombia and will benefit about 18,000 women and their families.

Fundación FES and scores of NGOs will receive technical assistance in such areas as organizational development, strategic planning and fundraising, and design and implementation of monitoring and evaluation systems. The project should improve the organizations' service delivery and promote best practice approaches. The operation results from a collaborative effort between the MIF, the WID Unit, and the Social Division of Region 3.

PROJECT TO STRENGTHEN TRAINING FOR LOW-INCOME WOMEN

Under the leadership of the WID Unit, the Bank has approved a project that will develop new training methods and encourage the participation of women in technical jobs. The project will also research new job opportunities for women and provide on-the-job training through private-sector employers. It will strengthen the quality of training in women's traditional occupations and develop mechanisms to incorporate women into higher-paid, traditionally male occupations. The results will be evaluated and disseminated to regional training institutions.

The MIF will contribute $4.7 million to the project, which will be coordinated by CINTERFOR. It will be carried out by training institutions in Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador and Costa Rica.

IDB PUBLISHES WOMEN IN THE AMERICAS: BRIDGING THE GENDER GAP

Women in the Americas: Bridging the Gender Gap grew out of discussions at the Regional Forum on Women's Participation in the Development Process in Guadalajara, Mexico in April 1994. The book was published in 1995 and presented at the Women's Conference in Beijing. It focuses on expanding women's social services, economic opportunities, and political participation, as well as supporting women's contributions to sustainable development. The book is available in English from Johns Hopkins University Press or the IDB Bookstore (202-623-1753). The Spanish version is forthcoming.

Last updated: 06/18/07