Gender and financing for development

Task Manager: OSAGI

Task Force members:
DAW Stefania Piffanelli
FfD Secretariat: Federica Pietracci (DESA) and Susan Brandwyn (UNCTAD)
NGLS: Lotta Tahtinen
ILO: Rhitu Siddharth
UNDP: Aster Zaoude and Mumtaz Keklik
UNEP: Beverly Miller (Mieke Jansen)
UNFPA: Wariara Mbugua
UNCTAD: Gloria Veronica Koch
UNIFEM: Shawna Wakefield
OSAGI/DAW: Carolyn Hannan (Task Manager)

Mandate

The IAMWGE in 2001 outlined the two major objectives of the work of the task force as (i) strengthening the gender perspective in the issues addressed by the International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) in Monterrey, March 2002; and (ii) promoting awareness-raising and advocacy on gender mainstreaming in the preparatory documentation, the debates and anticipated outcome of the conference.

The IANWGE requested the task force to work actively to ensure:

• a reflection of gender perspectives in the documentation and discussions of the preparatory processes and in the international conference;

• coordination and collaboration of the work of the UN system on gender and FfD;

• coordination and sharing of information between the UN system, other international and regional organizations, and NGOs and civil society groups and networks, particularly women's groups and networks, on gender and FfD; 

• a higher public profile of gender issues in the FfD process.
  
  The task force was also requested to organize: 
  

• a Day of Dialogue involving government representatives, UN system and civil society stakeholders on gender and FfD;

• one special event during the FfD PrepCom in January 2002, and one special event during the international conference in Monterrey in March 2002.

Intersessional activities

The task force met initially on a very regular basis but over time, in accordance with the guidelines for the work of the IANWGE, an increasing amount of work was carried out electronically.

The task force prepared three documents on gender and financing for development:

• one outlining the work of the task force;

• one providing an analysis of the gender perspectives on the issues on the financing for development agenda; and

• one listing the existing mandates for gender mainstreaming in these areas.
  Members of the task force disseminated these documents broadly during the past year as a means of keeping gender perspectives on the FfD agenda, particularly in connection with the three PrepComs in May and October of 2001 and in January 2002.

The task force initiated collaboration with NGOs - inviting them to a task force meeting and providing information on the work of the task force and possible areas of collaboration to a meeting of the NGO Caucus at the May PrepCom in 2001. NGO representatives were also invited to the Day of Dialogue organized by the task force in February 2002.

The Chair of the IANWGE, Ms. Angela King, distributed the task force documents to the Chairs of the different regional groups and discussed the importance of bringing gender perspectives into the preparations of the international conference. During the PrepComs in May and October 2001, Ms King made statements in plenary, as the Chair of IANWGE.

A panel discussion on "Gender Mainstreaming in National Budgets: A Strategy for Ensuring Gender-Sensitive Resource Allocations" was organized by the task force during the January PrepCom. The approximately 80 participants included delegates to the Financing for Development PrepCom, 3rd committee delegates, NGOs and UN staff. The Chair of the IANWGE, Ms Angela King, moderated the panel discussion. Presentations were made by Mr. Koen Davidse (Netherlands Mission), Ms. Ermelita Valdevilla (Philippines national machinery) and Mr. Edward Mhina (Tanzanian NGO). A video presentation by Ms. Rhonda Sharp (Australia) was also shown.

The task force organized a Day of Dialogue on 25 February in New York to provide an opportunity for Member States, NGOs, private sector, UN entities and researchers to dialogue on the gender perspectives in relation to: national resource allocation, international resources including FDI, debt, trade, ODA and systemic issues. A plenary session, moderated by the Chair of the IANWGE, Ms. Angela King, included a number of keynote speakers (The Executive Coordinator of the Financing for Development Secretariat, Mr. Oscar de Rojas; the Chair of the G77, Ambassador Milos Alcalay -Venezuela; and Professor Isabella Bakker, York University in Canada). Participants broke broke into working group sessions, led by facilitators, to discuss the gender perspectives on each of these issues, as well as the best means to ensure a continued focus on gender perspectives in the follow-up to the International Conference on Financing for Development. A report from the Day of Dialogue is being prepared and will be distributed broadly at the international conference in Monterrey (18-22 March, 2002), including through a panel, and within the UN system.

Outputs

The task force produced the following two documents in April 2001:

a) Mainstreaming gender perspectives in issues addressed in the preparations for the International Conference on Financing for Development. An initial analysis.
b) Intergovernmental mandates on incorporating gender perspectievs in the issues covered by the International Conference on Financing for Development.
An introductory note on the task force was also prepared: Interagency Meeting on Women and Gender Equality. Task Force on Financing for Development

The following two statements were made by the Chair of the IANWGE in plenary sessions of FfD PrepComs:

a) "Gender perspectives on Financing for Development." (Statement to the Meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the International Conference on Financing for Development in May 2001).
b) "Incorporating gender perspectives in the Financing for Development agenda." (Statement to the Meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the International Conference on Financing for Development in October 2001).

The following presentations are available from the panel on national budgets organized by the task force during the January 2002 PrepCom:

a) Introduction by Ms. Angela King, Chair of the IANWGE: "Opening Statement on: Gender mainstreaming in national budgets: A strategy for ensuring gender-sensitive resource allocation."
b) Presentation by Mr Koen Davidse (Netherlands Mission).
c) Presentation by Ms. Ermilita Valdeavilla (Philippines) "Gender sensitive planning and budgeting. Insights from Philippine experience".
d) Presentation by Mr. Edward Mhina (Tanzania): "Research collaboration between Government Agencies and NGOs in GBI research and advocacy."

All of these documents are (or will be in the near future) available on WomenWatch.

Lessons learned

While gender perspectives are not incorporated into the outcome document from the International Conference on Financing for Development to the extent desired, it is positive that the Monterrey Consensus does give some explicit attention to gender perspectives. This provides an important base to build upon. The Day of Dialogue was held explicitly to discuss how to stay engaged with the issue - to continue working to ensure increased attention to gender perspectives as a central element of financing for development.

The process of trying to incorporate gender perspectives into the preparations for the international conference has been important as an awareness-raising exercise. Many of the delegates at the PrepComs have not had much previous exposure to gender perspectives, since they come from Ministries of Finance or work with the 2nd Committee of the General Assembly. The preparatory process has provided a unique opportunity for dialogue on gender perspectives on the issues addressed by the international conference and a much more conducive environment for discussing gender in relation to the financing for development agenda has been created.

Follow-up to the conference, particularly in those UN entities working on the issues raised in the conference - such as UNCTAD, WTO, World Bank, IMF, ILO, UNDP and the regional commissions - will be critical for ensuring consolidation of the awareness raising and important changes in policies and programmes.

A major constraint to the work of the task force, particularly in organizing side events or the Day of Dialogue, which required resources to bring participants from the South, has been a total lack of financial resources. This caused undue delays in organizing these events.

Activities for the future

The task force will collaborate with WEDO in organizing a panel at the International Conference on Financing for Development in Monterrey, 18-22 March 2002. The outcome of the Day of Dialogue will be presented at a second panel organized by the task force.

The most appropriate follow-up to the International Conference on Financing for Development should be undertaken within individual entities. The task force believes that its work is completed after the preparation of a final report for submission to the IANWGE in February 2003.

Suggested points for discussion by the Network

1. In what ways have individual entities tried to bring gender perspectives into the preparations being undertaken for the International Conference on Financing for Development, especially in those UN entities working directly with the issues raised in the conference - such as UNCTAD, WTO, World Bank, IMF, ILO, UNDP and the regional commissions? To what extent were these initiatives successful? What were the main constraints and potentials?

2. Was the work of these individual entities supported at all by the work of the task force? In what ways?

3. How will these individual entities work to ensure the gender perspectives are taken into account in all follow-up to the international conference in their entities?
How will the findings of the Day of Dialogue be used in this context?

4. How can regular monitoring and reporting on the incorporation of gender perspectives in all follow-up to the international conference be ensured?