UNICEF GENDER ACTION PLAN CONSULTATION

Transcription

1 UNICEF GENDER ACTION PLAN CONSULTATION 7 September 2017 Kigali, Rwanda UNICEF Gender Action UNICEF Plan Rwanda/2014/Muellenmeister Consultation 1

2 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Gender equality means that women and men and girls and boys enjoy the same rights, resources, 1 opportunities and protections. The Global Gender Gap Index 2016 reveals that all countries can do more to close the gender gap. Across the Index, there are only five countries that have closed 80 per cent or more of the gender gap in their respective countries. Rwanda has crossed that threshold to break into the top five countries with the narrowest gender gap. The Global Gender Gap Index is comprised of four subdomains: economic participation and opportunity, political empowerment, educational attainment, and the health and survival gap. Rwanda s impressive score is mostly due to improvements on its economic participation and opportunity sub-index score; Rwanda has improved greatly in gender parity in terms of estimated earned income. Rwanda remains the country with the highest share of female parliamentarians in the world (64 per cent), and maintains its respective high score on the political empowerment sub-index. 1. According to the UNICEF Gender Action Plan UNICEF Gender Action Plan Consultation 2

3 UNICEF Rwanda/2017/Bell Despite excellent gender parity in primary and secondary school enrolment, its educational attainment gender gap remains open. This is mainly due to the lower enrolment of girls in tertiary education and the lower rate of women s literacy compared to that of men. Similarly, despite remarkable achievements in child survival and access to essential maternal and child health services, Rwanda s health and survival gender gap remains open due to gendered differences in healthy life expectancy. UNICEF s work in gender equality and the empowerment of girls and women is grounded in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and is anchored in the landmark Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Advancing gender equality and the rights of women and girls is essential to realising the rights of all children. Children s rights and well-being often depend on women s rights and well-being, and childhood investments in gender equality contribute to lifelong positive outcomes for children and their communities. In response to gender-related challenges in Rwanda, and as a preparatory step in the development of the new Country Programme Document , UNICEF organised a consultative meeting to discuss global Gender Action Plan (GAP) priorities and how to adapt them to the Rwandan context. The GAP specifies how UNICEF will promote gender equality across the organisation s work in line with the UNICEF Strategic Plan The GAP also elaborates on gender dimensions related to programmatic results across the five goal areas of the Strategic Plan, as well as the steps to strengthen gender equality across change strategies and institutional systems and processes. UNICEF Gender Action Plan Consultation 3

4 The GAP is therefore UNICEF s road map for supporting the achievement of gender equality goals in conjunction with partners and national stakeholders. The GAP Stakeholders Consultation was an opportune moment to utilise the expertise of partners to mainstream gender into ongoing development processes and tailor it to the Rwandan context. This consultation was therefore held to share GAP priorities and consult on how to effectively and meaningfully mainstream gender into the new UNICEF Rwanda Country Programme. The GAP will also inform priorities that will comprise the UN Development Assistance Plan (UNDAP) and the Government s National Strategy for Transformation. planning processes such as the upcoming National Strategy for Transformation and Prosperity (formerly the EDPRS III) and the UNDAP? 3. What expectations do you have from UNICEF in terms of moving the gender equality agenda forward? Responses from questions one and two were used to shape the key considerations for UNICEF s upcoming Country Programme and are reflected in Section II: Adapting the Gender Action Plan to Rwanda; Section III: Other Recommendations and Section IV: Conclusions and the way forward. The meeting was attended by 37 participants, including UNICEF staff and 23 partner organisations and government bodies, nongovernmental organisations, UN agencies, and civil society organisations. Government partners attended from the Ministry of Youth, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, the Ministry of Local Government, the Ministry of Health, the National Commission for Children, the National Women s Council, the Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC), and the Gender Monitoring Office. Other partners attended from Women for Women International, Oxfam, ActionAid Rwanda, the Rwanda Association of University Women, the Rwandan Men s Resource Centre (RWAMREC), Girl Effect, Imbuto Foundation, the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Save the Children, CARE, and the Rwanda Women s Network. UN colleagues attended from World Food Programme, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and UN Women. Sessions were led by UNICEF Gender Specialist Redempter Batete, including content on a situation analysis of gender issues in Rwanda, current frameworks and processes for addressing gender equality in Rwanda, and a background on the UNICEF GAP and what the document aims to contribute. Following these sessions, participants were divided into groups based on their relevant expertise. During these group sessions, participants discussed the GAP goals related to the UNICEF Strategic Plan, with special attention to three key discussion questions: 1. Are the GAP goals relevant to Rwanda? Why or why not? How can they be adapted to the Rwandan context? 2. How can these goals be integrated in current UNICEF Rwanda/2014/Muellenmeister UNICEF Gender Action Plan Consultation 4

5 ADAPTING THE GENDER ACTION PLAN TO RWANDA Although Rwanda has crossed the threshold of closing 80% of its gender gap, ranking among the top five countries according to the Global Gender Gap Index 2016, there is still significant work to be done to address remaining barriers to gender equality. The GAP Strategic Plan outlines five goals to guide gender programming: 1. Gender-equitable health care and nutrition 2. Gender equality in access, retention and learning 3. Gender-based prevention and response to violence 4. Gender-responsive WASH systems 5. Non-discriminatory gender roles, expectations and practices The sections below describe the situation of gender equality in Rwanda under each of these Strategic Plan goals. These data provide insight into how the GAP can be adapted to the Rwandan context, and offer critical areas of concern and consideration for addressing gender equality issues specific to Rwanda. UNICEF Gender Action Plan Consultation 5

6 GOAL 1: GENDER-EQUITABLE HEALTH CARE AND NUTRITION UNICEF Gender Action Plan Consultation 6

7 Situation Analysis Since 2005, maternal health indicators have improved. Mothers receiving antenatal care by a skilled provider has increased from 94 per cent in 2005 to 99 per cent in Skilled assistance during delivery has increased from 39 per cent in 2005 to 91 per cent in Facility-based deliveries have greatly increased from 28 per cent to 91 per cent in However, only 44 per cent of women attended four or more antenatal care visits, and there remain other gender-related challenges in health and nutrition. Stunting and chronic malnutrition are much more common among boys than girls. In 2010 and 2015, the rate of stunting among boys was 47 per cent and 43 per cent, respectively, compared to that of girls at 43 per cent and 33 per cent, respectively. In addition, children whose mothers are disempowered in decision making on agricultural production are 1.4 times more likely to be stunted. Women who spend more time in agriculture are also less likely to breastfeed their children or ensure adequate hygiene. There are a number of gendered dimensions to nutrition. Girls are typically breastfed longer and have more diversified diets. However, boys are more likely to receive the recommended meal frequency. The healthy life expectancy is slightly higher for women at 57 years, while it is only 55 years for men. There are also gendered health-seeking behaviour biases: parents are more likely to seek care for boys regarding acute respiratory illnesses, but more likely to seek care for girls regarding diarrhoeal diseases. Priority actions: Gender differences in health and nutrition will be addressed by collecting and analysing sexdisaggregated data to inform tailored interventions, and by strengthening health facilities and community platforms to address gender inequalities. To ensure quality maternal care, UNICEF will work with partners to strengthen the quality of maternal and neonatal health care, including treating women with respect and dignity; appropriate water, sanitation, energy and medical supplies in facilities; and increasing knowledge and information of women and family members regarding antenatal and post-natal care. Working with partners to develop more gender-equitable-health systems that can deliver quality services to children and families, UNICEF will promote the professionalization of female and male frontline health workers, and advocate for gender-equitable national policies and financing for community health systems to train, pay and empower health workers adequately and ensure a gender balance in this critical professional category Data refers to the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) unless otherwise stated. UNICEF Gender Action Plan Consultation 7

8 GOAL 2: GENDER EQUALITY IN ACCESS, RETENTION AND LEARNING UNICEF Gender Action Plan Consultation 8

9 Situation Analysis Gender parity in primary enrolment has been achieved. The female-to-male ratio is 1.03, with 97 per cent of females and 95 per cent of males enrolled. In secondary education, the female-to-male enrolment ratio is 1.17; females represent 52 per cent of the student population and males represent 48 per cent. Gender equality challenges in Rwanda are primarily in literacy, drop out, retention and repetition rates. The literacy rate among males is 75 per cent, but only 68 per cent among females. Among primary school children, boys are more likely to repeat in lower primary grades. In gross numbers, boys are historically more likely to drop out than girls, though they re-enter the education system in a larger percentage than girls. By age 12, an estimated 13 per cent of boys have dropped out of school at least once, compared to only 5 per cent of girls. Priority actions: UNICEF will work the Government and partners to develop national education sector plans addressing gendered socio-cultural barriers to quality education. To ensure gender equality in teaching and learning systems, UNICEF will promote genderresponsive in-service teacher training. UNICEF will model remedial support for boys and girls who are underperforming to mitigate dropout and repetition, and work towards improvements in learning outcomes, especially for girls. Other recommendations and expectations Barriers to girls education include lack of parental guidance and mentorship, support and encouragement. Both boys and girls face issues including negative peer pressure (especially related to drug abuse) and lack of career guidance. There are a disproportionate number of male teachers in secondary and tertiary education. The majority of female educators remain at the primary level. Incentives should be put in place to encourage more male teachers in primary classrooms and women to seek education positions in secondary and tertiary institutions. As many young students lack access to career guidance, UNICEF should advocate and provide technical support for MINEDUC and other partners to establish stronger career counselling and general counselling systems in schools. Increased efforts will be required to engage partners to intervene at the household, community and sector level to address some gender-related barriers to education. UNICEF Gender Action Plan Consultation 9

10 GOAL 3: GENDER-BASED PREVENTION AND RESPONSE TO VIOLENCE UNICEF Gender Action Plan Consultation 10

11 Situation analysis While both boys and girls are subjected to violence in Rwanda, physical violence is mainly exerted against boys, and sexual violence against girls. Among adolescents aged 15 to 19, 28 per cent of boys have been victims of physical violence compared to 24 per cent of girls. 3 per cent of boys have been victims of sexual violence, while the rate jumps to 14 per cent for girls. There has been an increase in the number of girls who have been victims of sexual violence from 24 per cent to 33 per cent for girls aged 15 to 19 between 2010 and Women are more likely to seek help in cases of physical or sexual violence. Nearly half of women and 45 per cent of men who have been victims of violence have sought help. However, 23 per cent of women and 20 per cent of men never sought help or told anyone about the violence. 6 in 10 women and 43 per cent of men sought help only through their neighbour. Priority actions 3 In addressing gender-based violence against children, UNICEF will build the capacity and systems of multiple sectors to provide gender-responsive service delivery and gender-responsive access to justice. UNICEF will also promote social and behavioural change efforts within communities and institutions to shift attitudes and practices involving violence. This should include strategies to measure behaviour change, and providing practical alternatives to families and communities. These alternatives could include alternative disciplining practices, positive parenting, and examples of parent/teacher engagement. Evidence generation to inform programmes, sector strategic plans, as well as policy documents such as the National Strategy for Transformation and Prosperity. Other recommendations and expectations Gender focal points at the GAP consultation meeting agreed that child marriage is not a significant issue in Rwanda, and does not require devoted resources. However, early and teenage pregnancies, are still a challenge, with a significant impact on the education and well-being of both the underaged mother and the child. Partners must build the capacity and systems of multiple sectors to provide gender-responsive service delivery and gender-responsive access to justice, particularly in school settings. Although the GAP emphasizes implementation of a package of strategies to end violence against children, other forms of violence should be addressed too. Emphasis should be placed on building family resilience. 3.Data is from the Demographic and Health Survey unless otherwise stated. UNICEF Gender Action Plan Consultation 11

12 GOAL 4: GENDER-RESPONSIVE WASH SYSTEMS UNICEF Gender Action Plan Consultation 12

13 Situation Analysis There has been a gradual increase to improved water and sanitation for male- and female-headed households, although gender gaps still remain. For example, female-headed households have poorer access to improved sanitation than male-headed households. In 2010/11, the rate of access to improved sanitation was 77 per cent for males and 67 per cent for females. In 2013/14, these rates increased to 86 and 76 for males and females, respectively. In 2010/11, five per cent of male-headed households 10 per cent of female-headed households had no toilet facility, while in 2013/14 the rate decreased to two per cent and six per cent for male- and femaleheaded households, respectively. Female-headed households also have poorer access to piped water into their dwelling than maleheaded households. In 2010/11, only seven per cent of male-headed and four per cent of femaleheaded households had piped water into their dwellings. This rate only slightly increased in 2013/14 at nine per cent for male-headed households and seven per cent for female-headed households. Access to an improved water source improved from 2010/11 to 2013/14, with the gender gap nearly closed. Emerging issues requiring further information are menstrual hygiene management, and ensuring girls and women have the social support, knowledge, facilities and products they need to manage their menstruation with dignity and good health. Globally, there is increasing evidence that when girls and women are not able to adequately manage their menstrual hygiene, negative impacts include reduced participation in school, sports and home, stress and embarrassment and potential health risks. Priority actions UNICEF will assess whether current programming models effectively support an economic and/or time-saving empowering role for women. The current management information system in development should be revisited to ensure that data collection and analysis are gender-sensitive and disaggregated. Other recommendations and expectations In WASH, it is recommended to shift the open defecation GAP priority to focus on an effort to move households up the sanitation ladder from unimproved sanitation to at least basic sanitation. UNICEF should advocate for gender priorities in WASH through communication with MININFRA. UNICEF should work with the Government and other stakeholders to understand the situation of menstrual hygiene management, particularly for girls, and work to address the obstacles girls face to manage their menstrual hygiene with dignity. UNICEF Gender Action Plan Consultation 13

14 GOAL 5: NON-DISCRIMINATORY GENDER ROLES, EXPECTATIONS AND PRACTICES UNICEF Gender Action Plan Consultation 14

15 Situation analysis Political empowerment for women in Rwanda is good. Rwanda has the highest percentage of female parliamentarians in the world at 64 per cent. Since 2005, married women s participation 4 in decision making has steadily improved. This refers to the percentage of women who make specific decisions by themselves or jointly with their husbands. Decision-making topics included women making decisions on their own health care (increased from 60 to 83 per cent), major household purchases (increased from 58 to 73 per cent), and visits to family or friends (increased from 74 to 85 per cent). The rate of participation in all three decisions increased from 47 to 65 per cent. Men are more likely to be exposed to various forms of media than women. Among women and men, radio is the most widely accessed medium. More than 60 per cent of women and 4.Data refers to the 2005 and 2014/15 DHS 5.Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Early Nurturing of Children (2014) more than 75 per cent of men listen to the radio at least once a week. Newspapers are the least common medium among women (six per cent) and men (14 per cent). A small percentage of women (two per cent) and men (10 per cent) are exposed to all three forms of media. More than one-third of women and 19 per cent of men have no exposure to any of these forms of mass media on a weekly basis. Gender roles in child rearing are one of the biggest gender-related challenges under this GAP goal. The role of the father is generally 5 limited to that of breadwinner and protector. Fathers seldom interact with children in terms of feeding, playing, and engaging activities like singing However, there is a positive perception towards fathers who do play with their children as most believe it fosters close family bonds. UNICEF Gender Action Plan Consultation 15

16 Priority actions UNICEF will support communities to transform social narratives and promote behaviour change through parenting, early childhood and adolescent-empowerment programmes. UNICEF will also promote gender-equitable and affordable childcare that reduces women s care burden, engages fathers and men in caring for children, and improves the skills and professional advancement of mostly female childcare workers. Policy shifts and implementation will be advanced through advocacy, data generation and use, and monitoring systems for non-gender-discriminatory early childhood, extracurricular, training, sports, vocational, and mentorship policies for girls and boys. UNICEF Gender Action Plan Consultation 16

17 Other recommendations and expectations Overall, Rwanda has a strong high-level commitment to gender equality. There are good laws in place, and there have been some positive changes in social norms. There are also a number of strong social media platforms to reduce gender barriers by providing information to young people. However, Rwanda is a society which is strongly attached to traditional values, and there are still misconceptions regarding perceived differences between men and women which hinder progress in gender equality. In terms of gender roles and practices, there must be a change. Men should be encouraged to support gender equality, and to participate in bringing up and taking care of children. If a man is also responsible for child rearing, this can also lead to greater harmony in the household. This ties to women s empowerment; a woman should not be overburdened by unpaid domestic work (e.g. child care) and should be free to participate in more skilled work. If a woman is economically empowered, she will feel more confident in the decision-making arena. This also benefits the wellbeing of the child; children should feel equally supported by both parents, as the parents are the first role models for gender equality for their children. Children then grow up knowing that they are also valued and have worth, regardless of gender. One of the strongest recommendations is to develop mentorship programmes for gender equality between female and male students. There are a number of model initiatives that can either be scaled or replicated, such as the Ni Nyampinga initiative by Girl Effect, which brings new platforms like social media and radio to inspire young girls. In addition, the National Women s Council has a programme to connect female role models to girls who are out of school, and Resonate provides a platform for girls to share their stories, even if they are not literate. The Rwandan Men s Resource Centre (RWAMREC) and the He4She campaign also provide important examples for engaging men as champions for gender equality. There is often a misinterpretation of religious texts in Rwanda, indicating that woman should be subservient to men. This denotes an opportunity to engage with religious institutions and faithbased organisations to address these gender roles and promote positive behaviour change. UNICEF Gender Action Plan Consultation 17

18 CONCLUSIONS AND THE WAY FORWARD UNICEF Gender Action Plan Consultation 18

19 The Gender Consultation Meeting revealed that, overall, GAP Strategic Plan goals are relevant to Rwanda. With the new GAP, UNICEF will improve work in health and nutrition, WASH, protection, and education in a more gender-sensitive way. Moving forward, apart from sector specific involvements, there are several critical recommendations / expectations that partners requested from UNICEF to take into account, in order to address gender issues in a more systematic way: To conduct a review or audit of current gender-related policies. Gaps and bottlenecks to implementation, including the public perception of laws and policies, need to be identified. For example, there is little or no attention on issues of unpaid care work. To empower women, stronger economic empowerment programmes are needed, as well as stronger family planning programmes, especially in rural areas. Special focus should be on women and girls with disabilities. Strong multi-sectoral collaboration and coordination is needed for gender equality initiatives. The main focus should be on policy implementation at the community and household levels, advocacy and awareness raising among stakeholders, and technical support for planning and implementation of gender equity and equality interventions. There is a need for building the Gender Information Management System to track and report on cases of gender-related rights violations, and promote knowledge sharing and evidence generation to inform programming. The Gender Stakeholders Meeting was an important step in the development of the new Country Programme Document. UNICEF Gender Action Plan Consultation 19

20 United Nations Children s Fund Ebenezer House 1370 Umuganda Boulevard Kacyiru - Kigali P.0.Box 381 Kigali Tel: kigali@unicef.org Web: UNICEF Gender Action Plan Consultation 20