Gender Action

IN 2023 GENDER ACTIONS PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING ADVOCACY ACHIEVEMENTS:INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS (IFIS): GENDER ACTION PUBLISHED AND DISSEMINATED TO IFI SHAREHOLDERS, MANAGEMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY ACCOUNTABILITY-WATCHERS AND PARTNERS, IFIS RHETORICAL GENDER & CLIMATE PROMISES, WHICH ASSESSES, SCORES AND RANKS THE STRENGTH, ADEQUACY OR WEAKNESS OF OVER A DOZEN IFI GENDER POLICIES AND THE GENDER SENSITIVITY OF THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL FRAMEWORKS (ESFS) BY APPLYING GENDER ACTIONS ECOFEMINIST CLIMATE CHANGE AND OTHER INDICATORS. THE REPORT INTENDED TO PUSH IFI POLICYMAKERS TO IMPROVE POLICIES HAS BEEN HAVING SOME SUCCESS: FOR EXAMPLE, THE NEW DRAFT WORLD BANK GROUP GENDER STRATEGY INCORPORATES MANY IFIS RHETORICAL RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE ASIAN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT BANK IS CREATING ITS FIRST GENDER POLICY AS THIS REPORT STRONGLY URGED. THE REPORT WAS CO-SPONSORED BY GENDER ACTION, FRIENDS OF THE EARTH AND URGEWALD.ASIAN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT BANK (AIIB): THANKS TO GENDER ACTIONS PERSISTENT MULTI-YEAR PERSUASION THE AIIB HIRED ITS FIRST GENDER EXPERT IN 2023. THEIR REMIT IS TO ENSURE THAT ALL AIIB INVESTMENTS DO NOT HARM BUT BENEFIT WOMEN AND ALL OTHER GENDERS. INTERNATIONAL FINANCE CORPORATION (IFC): GENDER ACTION HELD THE IFC ACCOUNTABLE ON TWO PROJECTS IN 2023 THAT HARMED WOMEN: (1) GENDER ACTION SUPPORTED CAMBODIAN MICRO AND SMALL LOAN BORROWERS, MOSTLY WOMEN, WHO IN ORDER TO REPAY PREDATORY LOANS WERE FORCED TO SELL THEIR LAND, BECOME MIGRANTS AND PUSH THEIR CHILDREN INTO WORK. THE BORROWERS WERE UNAWARE THAT THEIR BANKS - IFC FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES (FIS), USED DECEPTIVE LENDING PRACTICES. IFC HAS FAILED TO CONDUCT REQUIRED PROJECT DUE DILIGENCE. THIRTEEN IFC MEDIUM, SMALL AND MICRO OPERATIONS MADE LOANS TO OVER 167,000 INDEBTED POOR CAMBODIANS, MOSTLY WOMEN, WHO ARE COERCED TO REPAY ABUSIVE LOANS THAT BREACH THE IFCS MANDATORY ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL POLICIES. TO OBTAIN REMEDY, THE CAMBODIAN VICTIMS FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE IFCS INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM, WHICH REPORTS DIRECTLY TO THE WBG BOARD. HOWEVER, IFC MANAGEMENT IMPROPERLY BLOCKED THE COMPLAINT FROM BEING ADDRESSED. GENDER ACTION AND PARTNER WATCHDOG GROUPS REVIVED THE COMPLAINT PROCESS BY APPEALING DIRECTLY TO THE WBG BOARD OF DIRECTORS. (2) FOLLOWING MEDIA REPORTS EXPOSING THAT THE IFC IGNORED MULTIPLE INCIDENTS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE COMMITTED OVER SEVERAL YEARS BY TEACHERS AT THE IFC-FINANCED PRIVATE BRIDGE INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIES SCHOOL PROJECT IN NAIROBI, KENYA, GENDER ACTION BEEN WORKING WITH PARTNERS TO GAIN FINANCIAL COMPENSATION, COUNSELING, HEALTH CARE, COMMUNITY REINTEGRATION, AND LEGAL SUPPORT FOR THE VIOLATED GROUPS. IFC STAFF FAILED TO MONITOR THE PROJECT EVEN AFTER LEARNING THAT TEACHERS WERE ABUSING YOUNG GIRLS. WHEN NAIROBI COMMUNITY MEMBERS COMPLAINED TO THE IFC ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM, IFC AND BRIDGE MANAGERS SIGNED A NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT THAT VIOLATES THE IFC ACCESS TO INFORMATION POLICY AND INFRINGES ON THE ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS INDEPENDENT MANDATE. IFC RETALIATED AGAINST THE ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM BY DISMISSING ITS RESPECTED DIRECTOR. IN 2023 GENDER ACTIONS PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING ADVOCACY BRIEFINGS AND WEBINARS EXAMPLES:OCTOBER 12, 2023. GENDER ACTION WAS LEAD SPONSOR OF A WORLD BANK-IMF ANNUAL MEETING CIVIL SOCIETY POLICY FORUM (CSPF) PANEL ENTITLED, A MACROECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE OF GENDER AND THE BWIS: LACKING FOCUS IN TIMES OF CRISIS. SPEAKERS CAME FROM GLOBAL SOUTH COUNTRIES, THE WORLD BANK AND INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND.OCTOBER 11, 2023. GENDER ACTION CO-SPONSORED A CSPF PANEL, AN EVOLUTION ROADMAP RESPONSIVE TO DEVELOPMENT CRISES? TOWARDS AN EXTERNAL EVALUATION OF THE WORLD BANKS CASCADE. OCTOBER 10, 2023. GENDER ACTION CO-SPONSORED A CSPF PANEL, TRANSFORMATIVE POLICY PATHWAYS: LESSONS FROM FEMINIST ECONOMICS PROGRAMMING FOR THE IMF. OCTOBER 8, 2023. GENDER ACTION PRESENTED A CRITIQUE OF THE WORLD BANKS DRAFT GENDER STRATEGY FOR IGNORING AUSTERITY, DEBT AND PRIVATIZATION THAT HARM POOR WOMENS LIVES AND LIVELIHOODS AT THE RECLAIM OUR FUTURE CONFERENCE AT THE BANK-FUND ANNUAL MEETINGS.OCTOBER 7, 2023. GENDER ACTION PRESENTED A CRITIQUE ON HOW IFI DEVELOPMENT POLICY OPERATIONS WEAKEN PUBLIC SECTORS; REDUCE PUBLIC HEALTH, EDUCATION, INFRASTRUCTURE AND TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS; AND INCREASE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE WITH WOMEN BEARING THE BRUNT OF THESE HARMS AT THE END AUSTERITY FESTIVAL DURING THE BANK-FUND ANNUAL MEETINGS.SEPTEMBER 14, 2023. GENDER ACTION PRESENTED ON HOW INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TREAT GENDER ON A WEBINAR SPONSORED BY THE HEINRICH BOELL FOUNDATION AUGUST 2, 2023. GENDER ACTION PRESENTED ON, WORLD BANK & IMF GENDER ADVOCACY: HISTORY, STRATEGY, TACTICS AT THE VIRTUAL GENDER-IFI SUMMER SCHOOL SPONSORED BY THE BRETTON WOODS PROJECT.JULY 7, 2023. GENDER ACTION CO-SPONSORED AND PRESENTED ON A WEBINAR ON THE GENDERED IMPACT OF IMF AUSTERITY CONDITIONALITIES.APRIL 14, 2023. GENDER ACTION CO-SPONSORED AND PRESENTED AT A WORLD BANK-IMF SPRING CSPF PANEL, GENDER - TIME TO GET MACRO, WHICH INCLUDED SPEAKERS FROM GENDER ACTION AND TWO LEAD WORLD BANK MACROECONOMISTS.APRIL 12, 2023. GENDER ACTION CO-SPONSORED AND PRESENTED AT A WORLD BANK-IMF SPRING CSPF PANEL, THE CASE FOR A HETERODOX FEMINIST WORLD BANK PRESIDENT. MARCH 20, 2023. GENDER ACTION PRESENTED ON WORLD BANK GROUP APPROACHES TO GENDER AND CLIMATE INCLUDING THE DRAFT EVOLUTION ROADMAP'S GENDER BLINDNESS, ON A WEBINAR CALLED THE WORLD BANK GROUP REFORM PROCESS: MORE OF THE SAME OR A REAL (R)EVOLUTION?, CO-SPONSORED BY THE HEINRICH BOELL FOUNDATION AND URGEWALD.