IFC Project in Europe and Central IFC Project in Europe and Central Asia:Asia:

Gender IntegrationGender Integration

Zouera Youssoufou & Patricia MaruschakZouera Youssoufou & Patricia MaruschakBrussels, Oct. 2008Brussels, Oct. 2008

• Increase Investment

• Strengthen SMEs / Local Private Sector

• Improve Enabling Environment

The IFC MissionThe IFC Mission The IFC MissionThe IFC Mission

MOST IFC PROJECTS ADDRESS ALL 3 MOST IFC PROJECTS ADDRESS ALL 3 GOALSGOALS

FOR MAXIMUM IMPACTFOR MAXIMUM IMPACT

MOST IFC PROJECTS ADDRESS ALL 3 MOST IFC PROJECTS ADDRESS ALL 3 GOALSGOALS

FOR MAXIMUM IMPACTFOR MAXIMUM IMPACT

PEP ECA is the largest IFC facilityPEP ECA is the largest IFC facilityPEP ECA is the largest IFC facilityPEP ECA is the largest IFC facility

Moscow • 17 offices

• 9 countries

• 31 programs worth $64M

• More than $80M in donor funding raised since 2000

• $19M in FY07 expenditures• ~230 mostly local field staff• Programmatic approach• Long-term involvement

IFC is organized by product IFC is organized by product linelineIFC is organized by product IFC is organized by product lineline

General Manager

Tania LozanskyMoscow

Communications Officer

Ilya SverdlovMoscow

Impact Assessment

Sanwaree SethiMoscow

Regional Financial Controller

Julia LessinaMoscow

HR Account ManagerNatalya TrekhlebMoscow

SOM Linkages

Ivan Ivanov

SOM Corporate

GovernanceMotria

Onyschuk- Morozov

SOM Housing Finance

Elena Klepikova

SOM Financial MarketsPatrick

Luternauer

SOM BEE

Sanda Liepina

SOMSustainability

TBC

Georgia Georgia Business Enabling Environment Business Enabling Environment ProjectProject

Project Goal: To improve the business environment for Georgianbussinesses

Project Objectives:• Monitor business environement through SME Surveys

• Nation-wide and targeted surveys

• Reduce regulatory burden on businesses• Inspections reform

Technical supervision Construction Food safety

• Licensing and Permits

• Improve SME access to informaiton

2006 - 2010Total Budget - $1.5 M US

CIDA - $250,000 US IFC - $500,000 US BP - $750,000 US

Georgia Corporate Governance Georgia Corporate Governance Project Project Project Context:• Weak legal and regulatory framework for corporate governance • Poor corporate governance practices at Georgian companies and banks• Lack of transparency, and insufficient respect for shareholders’ rights

Project Goal: To improve corporate governance practices of Georgiancompanies and banks = more effective operations andeasier access to capital

Project Objectives:• Direct Assistance to Companies and Banks• Development of Legal Framework• Public Awareness Campaign

2006 - 2010Total Budget - $1.8 M US

CIDA - $900,000 CDNBP - $400,000 US

South Tajikistan Cotton Lending South Tajikistan Cotton Lending Project Project

Project Goal: • To contribute towards poverty reduction and fostering economic growth in

the agricultural sector in South Tajikistan

Project Approach:• Contributing to the expansion of Tajiksodirotbonk (TSB) into under-serviced

rural areas• Help TSB introduce cotton lending products for small and medium sized

farms in S. Tajikistan • Lending target $300,000 US

2007- 2009Total Budget - $580,000 US

CIDA

Ukraine Agri-Insurance ProjectUkraine Agri-Insurance ProjectUkraine Agri-Insurance ProjectUkraine Agri-Insurance Project

PROJECT OBJECTIVES:

• Strategic plan for agri-insurance

• Improve regulatory environment

• Develop technical capacity of insurers

• Public education program

• Pilot program in selected sector

PROJECT CONTEXT:•Weak actuarial base, role of government unclear, industry fragmented•Consequently, few opportunities to manage risk, which affects availability and cost of finance to farms•Currently, only 8% of farmers use insurance•World Bank estimates market for agri-insurance in

Ukraine of $100 million per annum

2007- 2009Total Budget - $3.7 M CDN

CIDA

Project Approach:

• Research Tools for advocacy, expertise and monitoring

• PolicyEngage with state officials and get results through daily work

• Advocacy Media put pressure on politicians, who fear public opinionProject mobilizes and leverage support (stakeholders, donors)

Ukraine Business Enabling Environment Ukraine Business Enabling Environment ProjectProject

Project Context:• Ukraine’s Doing Business Ranking 2009 - 145/181 one of the lowest in the region• Standards & certification do not actually protect consumers $130 million in costs dealing with procedures• Inspections are a major burden Over 3 million work days expected to be lost by SMEs 95% of businesses inspected every year, total costs over $300 mln a year• Permits: highest number and incidence in CIS 54% of businesses must get at least one permit each year

2007- 2011Total Budget - $4.8 M US

CIDA - $2.2 M CDNSIDA - $10 M SEKEVD - $500,000 USIFC - $500,000 US

Overall Context• Highly educated region – both men and women• Soviet history of “state imposed gender equality”• Push-back from women in the region

Challenges• Gender still a marginal issue for projects• Lack of coordination between donors on how to address gender• Lack of recent and relevant data on gender issues in the region and in

relevant sectors• Projects at various stages in the project cycle• IFC-wide standardized BEE surveys• Risk of overburdening already busy projects

What Were We Facing?What Were We Facing?What Were We Facing?What Were We Facing?

What Did We Do?What Did We Do?What Did We Do?What Did We Do?

• Hired an international PSD specialist with a strong gender background to help each project develop its own gender strategy

• Focused on figuring out where gender “made sense” in each project’s existing mandate vs. adding on a stand-alone gender component

• Had each project select an existing team member to be the gender champion

Projects’ ApproachesProjects’ ApproachesProjects’ ApproachesProjects’ Approaches

•Ukraine Agri-Insurance – Gender as cross-cutting theme with specific focus on gender issues:

•Within companies providing ag-insurance •For consumers of ag-insurance

•Ukraine BEE –Project’s Surveys to identify gender issues for entrepreneurs

•Tajik Cotton Lending – Focus on working conditions for female farmers

•Georgia BEE and CG – Women in Business Roundtable

What Have We Learned?What Have We Learned?What Have We Learned?What Have We Learned?

•Presenting a business case for including gender helps convince sceptics

•BUT – don’t wait for data to start, activity builds interest and buy-in

•Focus on the value-added of gender, not just gender for the sake of gender

•Don’t dismiss gender issues before analyzing them properly

•Be prepared to follow-up on raised interest