Events

Gender, Voice, and Agency: Multilateral Development Bank-Sponsored Workshop

02 June 2014 to 04 June 2014

Manila

Philippines

This workshop focused on women's and girls' "agency"—the ability to make decisions about their life, voice out their needs, and act upon them.

It discussed and shared key conceptual frameworks, research findings, and promising approaches in the following five expressions of voice and agency:

freedom from violence;
access to and control over productive assets and resources;
freedom of movement;
voice and participation in national and local governance structure, and decision-making processes; and
decision making over family formation.

The event also explored the overarching legal frameworks and institutions, including civil registration and legal identity to enhance women's agency.

Program and Learning Materials:

02 Jun 2014
03 Jun 2014
04 Jun 2014

Date	Session / Activity	Presentation Material	Speaker(s)
02 Jun 2014	Welcome and Opening Remarks	Welcome	Michaela Bergman
02 Jun 2014	Welcome and Opening Remarks	Opening Remarks - Gender, Voice, and Agency Workshop While Asia and the Pacific region has made impressive strides in improving the lives of women and girls over the last decade, much remains to be done. ...	Stephen Groff
02 Jun 2014	Welcome and Opening Remarks	Welcome Address	Corazon Soliman
02 Jun 2014	Session 1 - Gender, Voice, and Agency	Voice and Agency: Constraints and Pathways to Empowering Women and Girls for Shared Prosperity Thispresentation clarifiesthe key concepts of "Voice" and "Agency" and describesthe global situation of women subjected to violence. It providesa framework...	Lucia Hanmer
02 Jun 2014	Session 1 - Gender, Voice, and Agency	Social Norms and Transformative Change: Lessons Learned from the Social Institution and Gender Index (SIGI) 2012 and Next Steps for SIGI 2014 Thispresentation examinesthe drivers of discriminatory social institutions. It discussesthe Social Institutions and Gender Index Framework developed in...	Keiko Nowacka
02 Jun 2014	Session 1 - Gender, Voice, and Agency	Strategies for Legislative Reform for Women's Increased Participation in Politics Thispresentation notespositive and negative global gender trends in legislative reform, with a recommendation to remove women’s exclusion. It focuseson...
02 Jun 2014	Session 2 - Legal Frameworks and Institutions	Enhancing Women’s Economic Empowerment in European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s Operations: Women's Voice, Agency, and Participation Thispresentation givesan overview of the study on Enhancing Women’s Economic Empowerment in European Bank for Reconstruction and Development(EBRD)'s operations...	Jacques Charmes
02 Jun 2014	Session 2 - Legal Frameworks and Institutions	Supporting Legislative Reforms and Access to Justice: ADB's Experiences Thispresentation discussesADB's programs and policy-based loans to support legal reforms and access to justice for women, particularly in Pakistan and...	Shireen Lateef
02 Jun 2014	Session 2 - Legal Frameworks and Institutions	Legal Frameworks and Women's Voice and Agency: African Development Bank Thispresentation providesa background on the study of Africa’s legal frameworks for identification of more in-depth studies and entry points for action...	Gisela Geisler
02 Jun 2014	Session 3 - Freedom from Violence	Freedom from Violence Thispresentation emphasizesgender-based violence (GBV) as a development challenge, with particular focus on Intimate Partner Violence. It explainshow ...	Lucia Hanmer
02 Jun 2014	Session 3 - Freedom from Violence	Integrated Services and Prevention Programs: Design and Impact Evaluation Issues Thispresentation coversthe Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)’s approach to addressing violence against women (VAW). Itsharesthe findings and recommendations...	Andrew Morrison
02 Jun 2014	Session 3 - Freedom from Violence	Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls: A Resource Guide Thispresentation sharesglobal statistics on the prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence and non-partner sexual assault, and the risk factors for Violence...	Mary Ellsberg
02 Jun 2014	Session 3 - Freedom from Violence	The United Nations Multi-Country Study on Men and Violence in Asia and the Pacific: Implications for Gender-Based Violence Programming Thispresentation focuseson prevalent patterns of men,violence against women, and known risk factors. It arguesfor the use of research, theory, and evidence...	James Lang
02 Jun 2014	Session 3 - Freedom from Violence	Fiji Women's Crisis Centre: Programs, Challenges, and Milestones Thispresentation provides an overview of violence against women (VAW) in Fiji and the Pacific, noting that the rates of VAW in the Pacific are amongthe...	Shamima Ali
02 Jun 2014	Session 3 - Freedom from Violence	Emerging from Conflict: Addressing Gender-Based Violence through a Multi-Sector Support Project in Cote D’Ivoire Thispresentation explainsthe design, approach, benefits, impact and monitoring, and evaluation findings of the Project on Emerging from Conflict/Multi...	May Ali Babiker

Date	Session / Activity	Presentation Material	Speaker(s)
03 Jun 2014	Session 5 - Freedom of Movement	Survival of the Fittest: Constraints to Freedom of Movement Using Public Transport in Kathmandu Thispresentation shares the findings of a studyon the problems of public transport in Nepal's Kathmandu Cityconducted from Octoberto November 2013. It...	Dee Jupp
03 Jun 2014	Session 5 - Freedom of Movement	Promoting Safe and Secure Movement and Mobility of Women in Dhaka, Bangladesh: ADB’s Bus Rapid Transit Project Thispresentation featuresthe Dhaka Rapid Bus Transport Project as part of the ADB-supported Greater Dhaka Sustainable Urban Transport Project (GDSUTP)...	David Margonsztern, Ferdousi Sultana
03 Jun 2014	Session 5 - Freedom of Movement	Freedom of Movement and Safe Transport Thispresentation emphasizesthe importance of freedom of movement andsafe transport, especially for fostering gender sensitivity. The European Bank for...	Elena Ferreras Carreras
03 Jun 2014	Session 5 - Freedom of Movement	Pilot Initiatives on Sexual Harassment on Public Transport in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Pakistan Thispresentation describes the perils of taking public transport, particularly occurrences of sexual harassment in the countries of Azerbaijan, Georgia...	Shanny Campbell
03 Jun 2014	Session 6 - Women's Access and Control of Land and Productive Resources	Facilitating Equal Opportunities and Access to Finance Thispresentation providesexamples of equal opportunity practices in companies. It describesprograms of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development...	Michaela Bergman
03 Jun 2014	Session 6 - Women's Access and Control of Land and Productive Resources	Gender and Land: Lessons from an Inclusive Business Model in Uganda Thispresentation featuresthe Vegetable Oil Development Program (VODP)as an inclusive business model for smallholder farmers in Uganda. VODPintegrates ...	Maria Hartl
03 Jun 2014	Session 6 - Women's Access and Control of Land and Productive Resources	Gendered Impacts of Caribbean Trade Agreements: Enhancing Women's Access to Export Markets and Trade Facilitation Thispresentation providesan overview of the Caribbean Development Bank's (CDB) gender programs and initiatives in CDB borrowing member countries. It delvesinto...	Marsha Caddle
03 Jun 2014	Session 6 - Women's Access and Control of Land and Productive Resources	Transforming the Family Structure into a Productive Resource for Women Thispresentation gives an overview of the Productive Families Economic Empowerment Program for Palestinian women andthe empowerment measures of the program...	Samar Samara
03 Jun 2014	Session 7 - Identity and Civil Registration	Civil Registration in Asia and the Pacific: Ensuring Rights for Women and Girls Thispresentation emphasizesthe importance of civil registration—birth registration—in enabling access to health care, education, or financial entitlements...	Kristen Wenz
03 Jun 2014	Session 7 - Identity and Civil Registration	National Identity Cards for Poor Women: Benazir Income Support Programme Thispresentation describesthe poverty profile of Pakistan. It also explainsthe objectives, approach, and outcomes of the Benazir Income Support Programme...	Shazi Toor
03 Jun 2014	Session 7 - Identity and Civil Registration	Linking Civil Registration and Identification with Vital Statistics in Uruguay Thispresentation highlightsthe importance ofidentity chain and vital statistics. It explainsthe virtuous relations between civil registry, vital statistics...	Maria del Carmen Tamargo
03 Jun 2014	Session 8 - Women's Voices in Governance Structures	Voice and Agency Matter: Evidence on the Impact of Women’s Political Empowerment Projects Thispresentation tacklesthe state of women’s political participation in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), and theInter-American Development Bank'...	Gabriela Vega
03 Jun 2014	Session 8 - Women's Voices in Governance Structures	Giving Locally Elected Women Voice in Local Governance Structures: Bangladesh This presentation provides background information on the second Bangladesh Urban Governance and Infrastructure Improvement (Sector) Project. It shares...	Md. Shafiqul Islam Akand
03 Jun 2014	Session 8 - Women's Voices in Governance Structures	Building Women’s Leadership for Participation in Commune/Sangkat Councils in Cambodia Thispresentation coversthe governance structure at the commune/sangkat level in Cambodia. Itdescribessupport provided to local women leaders—before, during...	Pok Nanda
03 Jun 2014	Session 9 - Women's Voices in Community-based Governance Structures	Gender-Responsive Stakeholder Engagement Thispresentation emphasizesthe importance of a gender-responsive stakeholder engagement process. It alsosharesan example of a gender-responsive stakeholder...	Elena Ferreras Carreras
03 Jun 2014	Session 9 - Women's Voices in Community-based Governance Structures	Giving Women a Voice in Producer and Farmers’ Organizations in the International Fund for Agricultural Development: Farmers’ Forum and Rural Women’s Leadership Programme Thispresentation introducesthe International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)'s Farmers’ Forum, and describeshow it has changed the way IFAD and...	Maria Hartl, Ma. Victoria Hilario
03 Jun 2014	Session 9 - Women's Voices in Community-based Governance Structures	Giving Voice to Pastoralist Maasai Women: A Case Study of Monduli Water and Sanitation Project in Tanzania Thispresentation describesthe context, location, and objectives of the Monduli Water and Sanitation Project in Tanzania. It sharesthe solutions adopted...	Alice Omesa

Date	Session / Activity	Presentation Material	Speaker(s)
04 Jun 2014	Session 10 - Decision-Making over Family Formation	Marrying Too Young: Policy Options for Actions to Address Child Marriage in Asia Thispresentation examines the global and regional realities with respect to child marriages. It discusseskey challenges such as harmful practices to girls...	Kiran Bhatia
04 Jun 2014	Session 10 - Decision-Making over Family Formation	Building a Social Movement to End Child Marriage: Plan’s Programs in Asia Thispresentation explainswhy child marriage is a global problem andenumeratesitskey drivers. It also discussesthe objectives and strategy of Plan International...	Sofia Naveed
04 Jun 2014	Session 10 - Decision-Making over Family Formation	Education for the Most Disadvantaged Communities in Viet Nam: Strategy for Delayed Marriage? Thispresentation describesthe Viet Nam Lower Secondary Education for the Most Disadvantaged Regions Project (LSEMDP) as a strategy that consequently delays...	Samantha Hung
04 Jun 2014	Workshop Closing