Economic Development Poverty Reduction Strategy: a case study

Presentation to the 29th Triennial Conference of the International Federation of

University Women

Dr Shirley Randell AM

The process:• Backward Looking Review (Joint Sector

Reviews) March – June 2006• Forward Looking EDPRS planning

July – December 2006- Logframe development

January – June 2007- Draft EDPRS 2008-2012

July – December 2007

Current DataPoverty has fallen from 60.4% to 56.9%

↓ 3.5%

Population growth has risen by 3.5% per year

↑ 600,000More people living in

poverty

The average poor person lives below the extreme poverty line of Fr175 per day, living on

Fr. 150per day

There is more inequality. The Gini Co-efficient has gone up

0.47 0.51

Percentage of poor living in Rural areas

92%

Key Facts :Reproductive Health Rights

Rwanda’s population in 2005 9.1 million

Average population growth rate per year

3.5%

Total fertility rate [Children per women]

6.1

Desired family size [Children per women]

4

2000 Contraceptive prevalence rate was 4%, now, it is

10%

Key Facts – Education Male Female

Net Enrolment Rate Primary 84.8 86.9

Net Primary Kigali Rural

89.884.0

91.086.2

Net Enrolment Rate Secondary

10.6 9.5

Net Secondary Kigali Rural

29.28.9

29.07.0

Literacy Rates Kigali[Over 15 years] Rural

89.569.1

83.657.1

Key Facts - Health

Women receiving antenatal care during last pregnancy

94.9%

Assistance at delivery by trained personnel [DHS]

39%

Maternal mortality [per 100,000 births] [DHS]

750

Households with access to a safe source of water

64%

Key Facts : Employment & Labour

M FAgricultural & Fisheries Employment

71.2 86.3

Unskilled Labour 11.8 2.1

Hours worked per week 30 25

Total weekly domestic hours 6.9 21.1

What does this mean ?

1. Tackling women’s poverty should be top of the agenda – there are at least 2.7 million women and girls living below Rwanda’s poverty line.

2. 36.9% of these will be living on less than Fr.175 per day.

3. The huge majority of women live in rural areas where they divide their time between low-productivity agriculture and domestic chores

4. Every women of child-bearing age will spend an average of four and a half years pregnant and five and a half years breastfeeding. She will have 6.1 children.

5. A rural girl child has a one in seven chance of reaching age 7 years and a 7% chance of going to secondary school.

What are the gender priorities for the EDPRS ?

Gender is a cross-cutting issue in the EDPRS…

…..this is a good thing because it means that issues of concern to women’s development enter the mainstream of national policy in all sectors.

Gender checklist for the EDPRS

1. Women are enabled to exercise their reproductive health rights

2. The range of employment, business and financial services is expanded and differential levels of male & female participation are addressed

3. Girls gain better educational achievements and adult women’s literacy rates are improved

4. Women’s role in agriculture is enhanced by policy changes and practical support – with special emphasis on productivity rises in food crop production and access to markets

5. Vision 2020’s objective of gender equality is made possible by careful attention to policy and law – that progressively protects women and provides a platform for them to achieve equality with men.

But this will not be sufficient

We also need action by the Ministry of Gender and the new Gender Observatory that will :

1. Advise the sectors / districts on collecting annual gender data in order to check that progress is being made.

2. Publish a 2007 gender status baseline report with annual updates based on Sector / District returns and a summary statement in the annual EDPRS review and in the NEPAD review

3. Establish a network of approved gender analysis specialists who can be contracted by Sectors /Districts to assist them with their gender policy, implementation and monitoring

4. Develop gender disaggregated budgets and report through the Joint Budget Support Review; the District Performance Contracts, and the Minister of Finance’s annual budget presentation to Parliament.

What can RAUW do ?

1.Ask for the annual data and analysis to be collected and published

2.Ask for a gender disaggregated budget to be presented to Parliament annually

3.Learn how to use data and budget information, ask tough questions and conduct research to fill gaps