Economic Reform, Employment and Gender (Employment Promotion for Women in the Context of Economic Reform and Restructuring)

The Programme "Economic reform, employment and gender"(1993-1999) was designed to raise awareness among policy makers and stakeholders about the gender dimensions of economic reform, and to put women's employment and gender equality on the agenda of economic reform and Social Funds/social safety nets.

Achievements:

Enhanced awareness and understanding of gender-differentiated impacts on employment as a result of economic restructuring: National workshops were organized and held in five countries: India, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Cote d'Ivoire and Egypt. In all countries, the workshops were the first occasion to discuss the interaction between gender, employment and economic reform at a national level. Subsequently, in India, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, national networks or task force were created, which further intensified the information exchange and raised awareness among social partners and policy makers.

Better information base on the employment and gender dimensions of economic reform: The papers prepared for the national workshops offered new analyses on structural adjustment policies and laid the basis for overcoming the lack of sex-disaggregated statistics on employment. For example, in Sri Lanka research was done on women and employment, case studies on Social Funds and safety nets were carried out in Bolivia, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, Egypt, Madagascar, Zambia.

Incorporation of gender into the policy debate and agenda: The Action Plans adopted by the national workshops became instruments for influencing the policy agenda in all countries. In Cote d'Ivoire, the Action Plan was used as a basis for the preparation of the Document Cadre (the central planning/budgetary document prepared by the Ministry of Finance for all Ministries). In Zimbabwe, the Action Plan was used in the preparation of a National Policy on Gender, and the Zimbabwe Programme for Economic and Social Reform. With ILO/DANIDA assistance, and in collaboration with labour ministries, the multi-sectoral Task Forces in Tanzania and Zimbabwe implemented follow-up mini plans (1998-2000) based on their respective Actions Plans.

Improved national capacities, and institution building: These have been achieved by two means: the formation and operation of national networks or task forces; and the actual involvement of national institutions in the implementation of the follow‑up mini action plans. The Task Forces in Tanzania and Zimbabwe and the network in India established a formal process of information exchange and networking among social partners. In Tanzania, the Task Force on Gender Issues in the World of Work was officially recognized by the Ministry of Labour and Youth Development in January 1998 as the national forum for gender and employment issues.

Gender on the agenda of social safety nets: An international workshop in 1997 resulted in the attribution of higher priority to the integration of a gender dimension in the new generation of Social Funds.

Lessons learned:

The introduction of gender and employment into the debate/agenda of Social Funds and social safety nets was successfully accomplished through the case studies and international meetings. While undertaken only for a limited period, the effort showed the importance of exchange and collaboration with the key international actors engaged in defining and supporting Social Funds and social safety nets, and building up the information base.

It is worth emphasizing that the Programme is meant to initiate a process: raise awareness, introduce gender into the economic reform debate, and initiate a dialogue among the social partners and stakeholders. The Programme does not aim (and resources do not permit) to complete the whole policy change. Therefore, it is important that the Programme links up with other programmes which would carry forward and/or expand the process of change, ensure that gender is incorporated in the policy agenda, and further build up national capacities. In Africa, the initiatives and structures initiated by the Programme will serve as building blocks for the Jobs for Africa Programme, which has a component on gender and employment policy.  

Sources: 
Economic Reform, Employment and Gender brief note, Social Group Unit, Development Policies Department, ILO, Geneva 1999
Eve Hall, with contributions from V. Mwamaja, "Employment Promotion for Women in the Context of Economic Reform and Restructuring (INT/94/MO4/DAN). External Final Evaluation of the National Projects of Tanzania and Zimbabwe", ILO, Geneva, November 2000.