Subregional Conference on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion in South Asia: Reflections and Way Forward for ADB
4 October 2022

ADB’s South Asia Department (SARD) has recently developed a gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) framework with accompanying guidance notes to assist SARD's GESI teams, sector divisions, resident missions, and project teams in fulfilling the GESI-related vision and operational priorities of ADB’s Strategy 2030 in the context of South Asia.

Objectives

The subregional conference served as a forum for SARD to present its GESI framework and seek the guidance of ADB’s partners in the six member countries in South Asia in ensuring the relevance and alignment of SARD’s GESI framework with their GESI program priorities and operationalizing the GESI framework with due consideration of the countries’ contexts.

Target Participants

The target participants included ADB’s partner agencies in its operations in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka such as executing and implementing agencies (EA/IAs) of ADB-financed projects, partner ministries, advocacy- and identity-based civil society organizations (CSOs), academic institutions, and international non-government organizations working with and for the socially excluded and vulnerable sectors. They were joined by members of ADB’s board of directors and staff from select thematic and regional departments.

Program and Learning Materials
Session / Activity Title Speaker(s)
Registration and Lunch
Inaugural Session Francesco Tornieri, Principal Social Development Specialist (GAD), South Asia Department, ADB (master of ceremonies)
Inaugural Session Welcome Address Shamit Chakravarti, Country Director, Bhutan Resident Mission, ADB
Inaugural Session Cultural Presentation Kuenpel Entertainment of Visually Impaired and Luma Dogar Dance Troupe
Inaugural Session Keynote Excellency Lyonpo Namgay Tshering, Ministry of Finance, Royal Government of Bhutan (RGOB)

Aum Chime Paden Wangdi, General Secretary, Tarayana Foundation, Bhutan
Inaugural Session Gender Equality and Social Inclusion in ADB South Asia Department Operations
This presentation gives an overview of ADB's social context and policy commitments in SARD developing member countries. Videos from the slides can be…
Francesco Tornieri
Session 1 ADB’s Commitment to Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Session Moderator:
Kenichi Yokoyama, Director General, South Asia Department, ADB
Session 1 Topics:
ADB’s commitment to gender equality and social inclusion (GESI)
Sameer Kumar Khare, Executive Director for Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Lao PDR, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, Board of Directors (BOD), ADB
Session 1 Persisting Gender Inequality Issues Faced by Women and Persons with Diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics
This presentation talks about ADB’s commitment to gender equality and social inclusion.
Takahiro Yasui
Session 1 Topics:
ADB’s commitment to gender equality and social inclusion (GESI)
Lessons from country/regional experiences (achievements and challenges encountered) in GESI
Modalities for resource development and mobilization for GESI programs/projects
Sergio Lugaresi, Executive Director for Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland, BOD, ADB

Chantale Wong, Executive Director for the United States, BOD, ADB
Session 1 Panel Discussion with Introduction
Session 1 Networking Break
Session 1 Open Forum
Closing Remarks
Session / Activity Title Speaker(s)
Keynote H.K.D.W.M.N. Bandara Secretary, Ministry of Women, Child Affairs & Social Empowerment, Government of Sri Lanka
Session 2 Old Age and Disability in South Asia—Issues and Responses Session Moderator:
Wendy Walker, Chief Social Development Thematic Group (SDTC-SOC), ADB
Session 2 Video: Older people and people with disability
Session 2 Old age issues and intersecting inequalities
Session 2 Global Challenges and Trends of Responses to Aging Populations
This presentation gives an overview of aging population in South Asia and its Intersectionality and vulnerabilities.
Meredith Wyse
Session 2 Global Challenges and Trends of Responses to Elder Care Issues
This presentation gives an overview of the old age issues and intersecting inequalities in South Asia.
Peter Chan
Session 2 Disability Issues and Intersecting Inequalities
This presentation gives an overview of global disability issues and recommendations on "moments" to shape work on disability inclusion.
Victoria Austin
Session 2 Government Initiatives on Disability Issues
This presentation gives an overview of the Bangladesh Government's enabling environment for persons with disabilities and some of its legal…
Shobnam Mushtary Rikta
Session 2 Initiatives and good practices in addressing old age and disability issues in South Asia
Session 2 Government initiatives on old age issues Susie Perera de Silva, Deputy Director General, PHS, Ministry of Health, Government of Sri Lanka
Session 2 CSO initiatives on old age and disability issues Himanshu Rath, Founder, Agewell Foundation, India

Rama Dhakal, Vice President, National Federation of the Disabled of Nepal
Session 2 Networking Break
Session 2 Panel Discussion on Key Questions
Session 2 Open Forum
Session 2 Summary of challenges and gaps, and the need for a collaborative way forward Deepa Ahluwalia, Senior Social Development Officer (Gender), India Resident Mission, ADB
Keynotes Gender Equality and Social Inclusion in Sri Lanka

R.H.W.A. Kumarasiri, Director General, Department of National Planning, Ministry of Finance, Government of Sri Lanka


Saloni Pradhan Singh, Member, National Planning Commission, Government of Nepal
Session 3 Persisting Gender Inequality Issues Faced by Women and People with Diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics

Session 3 Situation of people with diverse SOGIESC: Global and South Asia Session Moderator:
Sudarshana Jayasundara Anojan, Senior Social Development Officer (Gender), Sri Lanka Resident Mission, ADB
Session 3 Women on Disadvantaged Groups and People with Diverse SOGIESC
Session 3 Video: UN Women, India
Susan Ferguson
Session 3 Persisting gender inequalities and intersecting inequalities Susan Ferguson, Representative, UN Women, India
Session 3 PwC's Commitment to Gender Equality
Pooja Singh
Session 3 Global call to redefine sex, gender, and gender equality and issues of transgender people Manisha Dhakal, Executive Director, Blue Diamond Society, Nepal
Session 3 Situation of people with diverse SOGIESC: Global and South Asia Midnight Poonkasetwattana, Executive Director, Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM)
Session 3 RGoB’s Initiatives for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment
This gives an overview of Bhutan's programs and initiatives on women's empowerment and gender equality.
Tshewang Lhamo
Session 3 Government initiatives for the empowerment and inclusion of people with diverse SOGIESC Dhundi Raj Lamichhane, Director, Central Bureau of Statistics, Government of Nepal
Session 3 Respect, Educate, Nurture and Empower Women (RENEW) Vision: A Just, Equitable and Happy society
This presentation gives an overview of different services for survivors of domestic Violence/ Sexual & gender-based violence.
Tshering Dolkar
Session 3 CSO Initiatives for the Empowerment and Inclusion of People with Diverse SOGIESC in Bangladesh
This presentation gives an overview of SOGIESC Inclusion and Empowerment in Bangladesh.
Shale Ahmed
Session 3 Rosanna Flamer-Caldera, Executive, Director, EQUAL GROUND, Sri Lanka
Session 3 Engaging men and boys in empowering women, addressing toxic masculinity, and achieving gender equality in South Asia
This presentation gives an overview of diversity in men's roles and different approaches to working on masculinity.
Ravi Verma
Session 3 Panel Discussion

Networking Break
Session 3 Open Forum
Session 3 Summary of challenges and gaps, and the need for a collaborative way forward Nasheeba Selim, Senior Social Development Officer (Gender), Bangladesh Resident Mission, ADB
Video Recorded Solidarity Messages from Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department (SDCC), ADB
Bruno Carrasco, Samantha Hung, Wendy Walker, Haidy Ear-Dupuy
Video Recorded Solidarity Message from ADB Southeast Asia Department's Director General
Ramesh Subramaniam
SERD perspective on SARD’s GESI framework Veronica Joffre, Senior Social Development Specialist (GAD), Southeast Asia Department, ADB
Day 2 Closing Remarks Francesco Tornieri, Principal Social Development Specialist (GAD), South Asia Department, ADB
Session / Activity Title Speaker(s)
Keynote Aishath Shafina, Head, Policy Office, The Office of the President, Government of Maldives
Session 4 Video: Social identity groups and poverty in remote and vulnerable geographic locations
Session 4 Panel Discussion Session Moderator:
Athifa Ibrahim, GESI Expert for Maldives, ADB
Session 4 Social Identity Groups in South Asia and the Social and Economic Cost of their Exclusion and Discrimination
This presentation gives an overview of different channels through which exclusion or discrimination are being practiced and how to address these.
Sukhadeo Thorat
Session 4 Geographical Exclusion—Issues and Responses
This presentation gives an overview of various issues and responses to geographical exclusion in gender equality.
Chhaya Jha
Session 4 Poverty and Intersecting Inequalities in South Asia
This presentation gives an overview of Session 4: Social Identity, Income Poor, and People in Difficult Geographic Locations –Issues and Responses.
Amit Vatsyayan
Session 4 Government Initiatives for Disadvantaged Social Identity Groups
This presentation gives an overview of initiatives and good practices in promoting the social inclusion of social identity groups and poverty…
Maneesh Mishra
Session 4 Government initiatives in remote geographic locations Fathimath Leena, Director General, Social Services Department (SSD), Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services, Government of Maldives
Session 4 CSO initiatives for the empowerment and inclusion of disadvantaged social identity groups and for poverty
This gives an overview of Kapaeeng Foundation's initiatives and programs for gender equality in Bangladesh.
Pallab Chakma
Session 4 Panel Discussion on Key Questions
Session 4 Networking Break
Session 4 Open Forum
Session 4 Summary of challenges and gaps, and the need for a collaborative way forward Shuvechha Khadka, GESI Expert, Nepal Resident Mission, ADB
Way Forward and Closing Remarks Francesco Tornieri, Principal Social Development Specialist (GAD), South Asia Department, ADB

Kenichi Yokohama, Director-General, ADB South Asia Department
Session / Activity Title Speaker(s)
Visit to TTI Samthang This is supported under ADB-funded Skills Training and Education Pathways Upgradation Project (and expected beneficiary of Pathways for Emerging Skills and Jobs Project, a JFPR grant)
Visit to TTI Samthang Purpose is to reinforce participants' experiential and contextual learning through GESI best practices in action. Field tour is expected to allow them to emphasize the need of integrating GESI concerns into policy decisions and implementation
Visit to TTI Samthang Activities:

Meet with Disability People’s Organization (DPO) and graduates of persons with disability

Meet with students/instructors

Visit new workshop/hostel and equipment purchased
Video Building Skills of Persons with Disabilities, Transforming Lives

Disclaimer

The views expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or its Board of Governors or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. By making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area, or by using the term “country” in this document, ADB does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area.

Event Coordinator/s

  • Francesco Tornieri

ADB Organizer/s

  • South Asia Department

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Topics

  • Gender Equality
  • Social Development and Protection