Improving economic outcomes for women
Foreword
TheAustralian Government gives priority to gender equality and women’s empowerment in our foreign policy and in our overseas aid program.
We recognise that one of the best ways to promote economic growth and to achieve stronger communities and societies is to empower women and girls. Over 50 percentofAustralia’s aidbudgetis spentoninitiatives that promotegender equality.IntheIndo-Pacificregion wearesupporting womenleaders,helpingendviolence against women,andensuringwomen andgirls canaccesshealthservicesandaneducation.Importantly,weare workingtoimproveeconomicoutcomesforwomen.
TheGovernment’srecentappointmentofMsNatashaStottDespojaAMas Australia’s Ambassador forWomenandGirlsreflectstheGovernment’saim tobe attheforefrontofeffortstopromotetheempowermentofwomenand girls, particularlyin theIndo-Pacificregion.
Empowering womentoparticipatein theeconomyis smarteconomics. Whenwomenareabletoactivelyparticipatein theeconomy,includingthe formallabourmarket,allpeopleprosper.
ThisbooklethighlightshowAustraliais supportingwomen’seconomic empowermentin ourregion. Wehelp womenworkingin agricultureto increasetheir productivityandprofits.Wesupportwomentodevelop skills foremployment,tostartbusinesses,andtoaccessfinance. Across theIndo-Pacificregion, Australia’s aidprogramis makingadifferenceto women’slives.
The Hon JulieBishopMP
MinisterforForeignAffairs
Contents
Foreword
Improving women’s livelihoods
Putting it into practice: Improving women’s livelihoods through access to safe markets in Papua New Guinea
Puttingitintopractice:Improvingthelivelihoodsofextremely poor women in Bangladesh
Puttingitintopractice:Supportingwomen’slivelihoodsthrough accesstobankinginthe Pacific
Puttingitintopractice:Empoweringwomenthrough savings in Timor-Leste
Education and skills for economic participation
Putting it into practice: Providing women with access to technical training in Vanuatu
Puttingitintopractice:ProvidingscholarshipstowomeninIndonesia
Entrepreneurship and private sector development
Putting it into practice: Working with the private sector to increase women’s employment in Fiji
Puttingitintopractice:Supportingchangestolegislationthat encouragewomen’sbusiness developmentinSolomon Islands
Puttingitintopractice:Supportingwomen’smicro-enterprisesinNepal
Supporting women business leaders
Puttingitintopractice:WomenleadingchangeinPapuaNew Guinea
Putting it into practice: Working with women business leaders in the Pacific
Puttingitintopractice:Supportingwomenbusiness leaders in Solomon Islands
Creative Commons
Improving women’s livelihoods
Womenin developingcountriesface multipleconstraintsin accessing employmentandlivelihoodopportunities.Many poorwomenin developing countriesworkin agricultureorin informaltrading.Theygrowandsell foodtomeet basicneedsbutoftenmake verylittlemoney doingsoand they workin poorconditions.Womenregularlymiss outontheagricultural informationandtechnologyneeded toimprovetheir productivityand increaseprofits.
Toimprovetheir economicpossibilitiesandcontributetofoodsecurity andeconomicgrowth,womenneedaccesstocapital,skills, technology andmarkets.
Womenalsoneedaccesstodiverseformaljobs:jobsthataresafe andstable;jobsthatenablethemtousetheir skills andtalentstoearn moremoney.
As well as access to employment opportunities and income, women also need to have control over what they earn and be able to decide how to spend their money to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. Women need access to banking and financial services to save and manage their money.
Putting it into practice: Improving women’s livelihoods through access to safe markets in Papua New Guinea
InPapuaNew Guinea,theAustralianGovernment fundsUN Women’s SafeCities Programmetoimprovethelivelihoodsofwomenbymakingthe marketsin thecapital,PortMoresby,saferforconductingbusiness.
AlargemajorityofPapuaNew Guinea’spopulationworkin subsistence agriculture,sogivingwomenandgirls safeaccesstomarketstoselltheir produceis key.
UNWomenworkswiththePort MoresbyNationalCapitalDistrictCommission, thepolice,women’sgrassrootsorganisationsandcivilsocietyorganisations, tostrengthentheroleofpoliceatthemarkets,improve thecollectionofvendor fees,andmanagesecurity,cleaningandmaintenanceservices.
Infrastructurechanges made throughtheSafeCities Programmearealso helpingwomenatthemarkets. TheGerehuMarket,forexample, has renovated itsbathroomsandshowers, installed potablerunning water, andrenovated stalls andshadedareas.
Avendors’associationwas alsoestablishedtomanagemarketissues. Theassociation’sworkhasincludedimprovingsecuritytoenablevendors toworkwithoutharassment.
Puttingitintopractice:Improvingthelivelihoodsofextremelypoor womeninBangladesh
InBangladesh, theAustralianGovernment supportsBRAC’s[1]Targetingthe Ultra Poor, aground-breakingprogrampromotingandprotectingthe livelihoodsofextremelypoorwomen.Since2002, theprogramhasreached morethan onemillionruralhouseholdsandhada95 percentsuccessrate in liftingwomenoutofextremepoverty.[2]
Theprogramprovidesthemostdisadvantagedwomenwithgrants, trainingandcapitaltobuildmicroandsmall businesses.Recognising that capitalis notenough, theprogramprovidestrainingandfacilities,suchas waterpumpsandtoilets.Italsogiveswomenanallowance sothey have‘breathingspace’todeveloptheir businesses.Inaddition,theprogram pays foreducationandhealthcareneedsoffamily members.
BRAC:Turningwomen’s livesaround
Shubashinimarried when shewas 14 andhasfivechildren.Whenher husbanddied,Shubashini’sfamily sufferedandoftenwentwithout food,clothesandotheressentials.Shubashiniwas determinedtoturn thingsaround.
In2005, sheparticipatedin BRAC’s TargetingtheUltra Poor Programme.Shedecidedtoraisecattletomake money. BRACtrained Shubashiniin business, lifeskills andnetworking.Itgavehertwocows, assistance tobuildacowshade,andaweekly stipendtokeep her goinguntilshestartedearningmoney. BRACalsogaveShubashini healthcareandsupportfromthevillagepovertyreductioncommittee.
After graduating,ShubashinitookoutloansfromBRAC’s microfinance program.Sherentedland, grewrice, paidoffherloans,startedashop andbuiltahouse.With herdeterminedspirit,Shubashanitransformed herlifein justtwoyears.[3]
Puttingitintopractice:Supportingwomen’slivelihoodsthrough accesstobankinginthePacific
InFijiandother Pacificcountries,theAustralianGovernmentishelping
toaddress amajorbarriertowomen’seconomicempowerment—lackof accesstofinancialservices—through supportfortheregional,multi-donor PacificFinancialInclusionProgramme.Whenwomencannotaccesscredit orbank accounts,itisdifficultforthem toplan,buildbusinessesorachieve theirfull economicpotential.
Theprogramprovideswomenwithaccesstomobilemoney,aquick,
low-costwaytotransferandreceivefunds.Since2009,thePacificFinancial InclusionProgrammehasprovidedmore thanhalfamillionpeopleacross Fiji,Samoa,TongaandVanuatuwithaccesstomobilemoney.Atotalof
38.5percentofusersofthisservicearewomen.[4]
ThePacificFinancialInclusionProgrammealsoincreaseswomen’saccesstobank accounts,enablingthem tosaveandmanagemoneybetter.InFiji,theprogramworkswiththeDepartmentofSocialWelfaretoimprove accesstogovernmentwelfarepaymentsthroughelectronicmeans.InFiji,more than halfofthese23,100socialwelfareclientsarewomen.
Saving for a rainy day
Makereta,fromFiji,is asinglemotheroffourboyswhoalsocaresfor herbedriddenuncle. Makeretaneverhadabankaccountandalways foundithardtosavemoney. Tocollecthermonthlyfamily assistance fromtheDepartmentofSocial Welfare,Makeretawouldhaveto collectavoucherandthen cash itatapostoffice.Thisoftentook uptohalfaday.
LifechangedforMakeretaafter theFijiGovernment,withsupport fromthePacificFinancialInclusion Programme,startedtopaywelfare recipientsdirectlyintoabankaccountinsteadofthroughvouchers. Shewas givenasmartcardtousetoaccesshermoney, only paying asmall transactionfee.
Makeretasayshavinghermoney goingdirectlyintoherbankaccount is ablessing. Itsaveshervaluabletimeandmakes iteasiertosavefor arainyday.
Improving economic outcomes for womenPage 1 of 17
Puttingitintopractice:Empoweringwomenthroughsavings inTimor-Leste
InTimor-Leste,theAustralianGovernment fundstheInternationalWomen’s Development Agency toworkwithlocalin-countrypartners tohelp women developmicro-businessesandsavingsclubs.
Theprogramisimprovingwomen’slivelihoodsbybuildingtheirfinancial independenceanddevelopingtheirleadershipskills.Itprovideswomen’s groupswitheitherstart-upfundsormaterials,training andongoingsupportin finance,businessandleadershipskills.Italsofacilitates linkageswithmarkets andworkswithmen togainsupportandraiseawarenessofthebarriers womenface in establishingtheir micro-businessesandsavingsclubs.
Increasingwomen’scontrolovertheirincome
TheAustralianGovernment fundstheInternationalWomen’s Development Agency toworkwithlocalTimor-Lestegroupstohelp womendevelopmicro-businesses,buildleadership skills andsave tobecomefinancially independent.
BeatrisdoSantosleadsonesuch group,HaburasGoronto.The membersofthiswomen’sgroupgenerateincomethroughweavingtais (traditionalfabric),raisingchickensandmakingcakes.Thegroupnow hasitsownbank accountandusesitssavingsforpositivechange. Theseincludesupportingchildren’sschoolingandprovidingmembers withloanstobuyhouseholdandother itemsthatbenefittheirfamilies.
Improving economic outcomes for womenPage 1 of 17
Education and skills for economic participation
Educationandtraininggivewomentheknowledge,skills andself-confidencethey needtoearnanincome,includingthroughhigher payingjobsandbystartingtheir ownbusinesses.
Globally, womenaresignificantlyunder-representedin highereducation andvocationaltraining.Educationatthislevelofferswomenincreased pathwaystoemploymentaswell asopportunitiestobuildastablelifefor themselves andtheir families.
Evenwhenbettereducated,womenaroundtheworldstillspendsignificantly more timethanmenlookingafterchildren,cooking,collectingwaterandfuel,caringforrelativesandhandlingother householdresponsibilities.This limitsthetimetheyhaveavailabletoparticipateineducationalprogramsand undertakeincome-earningactivities.[5]Investmentsintimeandlaboursaving technology,infrastructureandchildcarearethereforeimportantforfreeing women’stimeandincreasingtheirproductivity.
Puttingitintopractice:Providingwomenwithaccesstotechnical traininginVanuatu
InVanuatu,theAustralianGovernment is workingwiththeGovernmentofVanuatutoempowerlocalwomentoincreasetheir income-earning potentialandserveanexpandingprivatesectorthroughaccessing technicalandvocationalskills andtrainingprovidedbytheTechnicaland VocationalEducationandTraining(TVET)SectorStrengtheningProgram.
Since2009, morethan 150 accreditedtrainingcoursesandapproximately200 business developmentworkshopshavebeendeliveredtoover5000 ruralparticipants.Duetoaconcertedefforttopromoteequity,44 percentofalltraineeshavebeenwomen,includingagood representationofpeoplewithdisability.[6]
Educatingwomeninnon-traditionaltrades
GailWakiandRinaAlauaregraduates oftheVanuatuInstituteofTechnologywhofurtheredtheir skills attheAustralia–PacificTechnical Collegein Fiji(alsosupportedbytheAustralianGovernment).Bothwork in traditionallymale-dominatedtradesanddeliverskills trainingin ruralcommunitiesin VanuatuaspartoftheTVETSectorStrengthening Program.
Gailteaches masonry andtilingandRinateaches electricalwiring. Althoughmen continuetomake upthemajorityoftraineesin the tradesin Vanuatu,thefactthatthesetwotrainersarewomenis abig stepforwardin breakingdownperceptionsaboutwomen’srolesand their abilitytoworkin arangeofjobs.
Puttingitintopractice:ProvidingscholarshipstowomeninIndonesia
TheAustralianGovernment supportswomentoundertake study,research andprofessionaldevelopmentin AustraliathroughtheAustraliaAwards Program.In2012 alone,theAustralianGovernment supportedmorethan2400 womenfrommorethan 145 countriesin thisway. Theprogram equips thenextgeneration ofglobalfemaleleaderswiththeskills and knowledgerequiredtosupportgrowthanddevelopmentin their countries. Ithassupportedmany successfulfemaleleaderswhoarenowplaying importantrolesin policydevelopmentandin implementingprogramsthat areimprovingthelivesofwomen.
InIndonesia,AustraliaAwards’graduate NettyMuharni is improvingthelivesof womenin Aceh.After the2004 tsunami hit,Nettyresolved tohelp peoplegetonwiththeir livesthroughrehabilitation andreconstructionprograms.She completedherMasterofUrban and RegionalPlanningatCurtinUniversity of Technologyin Perth(2007)andis now HeadofthePromotionDivision, atthe AcehInvestment CoordinatingBoard.
NettyisalsoGeneralSecretaryofAceh’s National CraftCouncil,anot-for-profit organisationthathelpswomenimprovetheireconomicwellbeingby sharingknowledgeandskills.Netty receivedanAustralianAlumniAward intheInspirationalAlumniAwardscategoryin2009.TheAustralianAlumni AwardsareaninitiativeofAustralian EducationInternationalattheAustralian EmbassyinIndonesia.
Entrepreneurship and private sector development
Entrepreneurshipandprivatesectordevelopmentarefundamental to economicgrowthandaresignificantsourcesofwomen’semployment. Asentrepreneurs,womencreatejobsandgrownational economies.
Inmany partsoftheworldwherewomenhavelimitedaccesstojobs, microandsmall enterprise aretheir main sourceofincome.With income earnedfromtheir businesses,womencansupporttheir families and communitiestoprosper.
Womenencountergender-specificobstaclesthatcannotbeeasily overcomewithoutexternalhelp. Discriminatorylaws, policiesand attitudesoftenmake itdifficultforthemtoaccessland, financial services, technology,trainingandmarkets. Creating anenabling environmentby addressingtheseobstaclesis important,includingthroughprovidingstart-upfundingorloans,accesstobankingaswell asbusiness and financial training.Removing legislativebarrierscanalsoassist women establish andgrowtheir businesses.
Puttingitintopractice:Working withtheprivatesector toincrease women’semploymentinFiji
AcrossAsiaandthePacific,includingin Fiji,Australiahasdrawnonprivate sectorexperience toimprovewomen’saccesstoemployment,training, financial servicesandtechnologythroughtheEnterpriseChallengeFund. Theprivatesectoraccountsforalmostnineoutof10 jobsin developing countries.[7] Thefundhasprovidedgrantstobusinessestohelp createjobsandincome-earningopportunities.Ithasalsosupportedbusinesses toimproveaccesstomarketsandextendfinancial services,technology andagriculturalproductstopoorpeople.Since2007, 22,139 women havebenefittedfromgrantsprovidedtobusinessesbytheEnterprise ChallengeFund.[8]
InFiji’sNature’sWayfactory,anEnterpriseChallengeFund granttoprovide labour-savingtechnologyhasincreasedwomen’saccesstoemploymentbyenabling themtoworkin rolesonly previously performedbymen. The factoryheat-treatsfruitandvegetables forexport.Traditionally,womenonly workedin thecompanyoffice,because workingonthefloororin manual packingandgradingwas consideredtootough.Throughthegrant,Nature’s Wayboughtautomatedpackingandgradingequipmentandwomennow workin factory-floorpositions.
Puttingitintopractice:Supportingchangestolegislationthat encouragewomen’sbusiness developmentinSolomonIslands
In Solomon Islands and elsewhere in the Pacific, the Australian Government and the Asian Development Bank are working with Pacific Island governments to support private sector development, improve the business-enabling environment and focus on women’seconomic empowerment. They are doing so through the Pacific PrivateSector Development Initiative.
The initiative provides technical assistance to assist Pacific countries increase incomes, jobs and economic growth through private sector growth. It provides advisory services to support law reform to create an easier environment for business; promotes access to finance, includingthrough expanded access to financial services and innovative technologies; and it is improving the efficiency of state-owned enterprises and public- private sector mechanisms.
In Solomon Islands, the Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative has supported the Solomon Islands Government to reform company legislation and compliance procedures. These reforms have made it easier to register companies and file annual returns. As part of the reform implementation, women and women’s community groups have been provided with advice and training on the reforms. Since the new Companies Act became effective in July 2010, the number of women company directors has increased by 29 per cent and the number of women shareholders by15 per cent.[9]
Puttingitintopractice:Supportingwomen’smicro-enterprisesinNepal
InNepal,theAustralianGovernment supportstheMicro-Enterprise Development Programmewhichaims toexpandemploymentopportunities forthepoor,youth,womenandindividualsfromsociallyexcludedgroups throughthedevelopmentofmicro-enterprises.
Expandingemploymentopportunities
Durga,fromNepal,hasnoformaleducationandcomesfromapoor family. Elevenyearsagoshestruggledtofeed herfamily ofeightwith twomealsadayonherhusband’ssalary.Determined toeducateherchildrenandgivethemabetterchancein life,Durgadreamtof becominganentrepreneur.
Durgawas abletorealiseherambitionswhen theMicro-Enterprise Development Programme,fundedbytheAustralianGovernment, selectedherforStartandImproveYourBusinessentrepreneurship developmenttraining.Throughhertraining,shedevelopedabusiness plan forsellingherbalsoapandbuiltherskills.
DurgaestablishedtheJhimrukHerbalSoap Industry,makingand sellingherbalsoaplocally.Shebegan exportingsixtypesofsoapto Japan, increasingherincome10 timesover.Herhusbandnowworks in herbusiness andDurgaemployssevenpeople.Durga’sthree daughtershaveallcompletedtheir education.
Improving economic outcomes for womenPage 1 of 17
Supporting women business leaders
Harnessingwomen’stalentin theworkforce,includingaspoliticalleaders, business leadersandkey policymakers, makes soundbusiness sense.It makes societiesstrongerandmorestable.Yetwomenaroundtheworldareunder-representedin leadership positionsin business, governmentand othersectors.
Discriminatorylaws, practices,attitudes,stereotypes,lowlevelsof education,andlimitednetworksaresome ofthebarrierswomenface in takingonleadership rolesin business. Womenneedmentoring,support andtrainingtotake onleadership roles.Theyalsoneedtobepartof privatesectorpolicydevelopment.
Puttingitintopractice:WomenleadingchangeinPapuaNewGuinea
In Papua New Guinea, the Australian Government supports the Papua New Guinea Business Coalition for Women as part of the Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development program.[10]
The coalition works with the private sector in Papua New Guinea to increase the number of women leaders in business to develop better policies and practices to enable women to succeed at work.
Improvingeconomicoutcomesforwomen
Lady WinifredKamitCBE[11]is using herpositionasaleadertobring aboutchange toimproveeconomicoutcomesforotherwomenin PapuaNew Guinea.
Lady Kamithashadapioneering careerin law,business andthepublic service,includingasCommissioner ofthePublicServiceCommission. Sheis foundingChairperson oftheCoalitionforChangeandpatronof thePapuaNew GuineaBusinessCoalitionforWomen.
InherpositionasaSeniorPartnerin GadensLawyersandboard memberfornumerousbusinesses,LadyKamitsayssheissittingwhere shecanhelp PapuaNew Guineatodevelopaconsciousnessabout domesticviolence andworkplaceequality.
Lady Kamitsayseveryone,includinggovernmentandprivatesector employers, needstoworktogethertocreateaworkenvironment
in whichwomencancontributeandprogress.‘BecauseIam in the privatesector,thebalance sheet—the bottomline—isimportant,’ saysLady Kamit.‘Itis well knownthatwheretherearewomenin the balance sheet,thereturntoshareholdersis better.’
Improving economic outcomes for womenPage 1 of 17
Puttingitintopractice:Working withwomenbusinessleaders inthePacific
InthePacific,theAustralianGovernment supportedthePacificWomenin BusinessConference,held in November 2012 in Fiji.Theconferencewas convenedbythePacificIslandsPrivateSectorOrganisation.Itfocusedonwomen’sentrepreneurship,andbroughttogethergovernment,civil societyorganisationsandbusiness womentonetwork,supporteachother, increasetradingpotential,increaseaccesstomarketsandshowcaserole modelsofwomenbusiness leaders.Morethan 120 womenattended.
Supportingwomeninbusiness
SukhiaTuimaleali’ifanoGo,fromFiji,is agreatexample ofwhatwomen canachievewhen mentoredbywomenleadersandgivenaccessto networksandtraining.After attendingthePacificWomenin Business Conference,Sukhiastartedahandicraftbusiness, quicklyincreasing her employee basefromtwoto11.
Attheconference,Sukhiametsuppliersandotherbusiness women whowerewillingtosharetheir knowledge.‘Withthesupportfrom otherwomen,Iwas introducedtoamasi12buyer in Japan withwhom I made myfirstbusiness transaction,’said Sukhia.‘Ialsometthe ChiefExecutiveOfficerfortheSmallBusinessEnterpriseCentre,
asemi-governmentorganisationin Samoa,whosupportedmy submissionforbusiness developmentfunds.’
Puttingitintopractice:Supportingwomenbusiness leaders inSolomon Islands
InSolomonIslands,theAustralianGovernment supportswomen’s businesses.ItdoessothroughtheSolomonIslandsWomenin Business Association,whichpromotesandbuildsadditionalopportunitiesforwomen toparticipatein business atalllevels.
Theassociation’smissionis todevelopandempowerwomenin theprivate sector.Itprovidessupportservicestowomenentrepreneurs,including accesstofinancial services,financial literacysupport,skills training, mentoringandnetworking.
Sinceitsestablishmentin 2005, theassociation’smembershiphas increasedfrom100 tomorethan 480 women.AgrantfromtheAustralian Government throughthePacificLeadership Programwas used toestablish asecretariat andanofficetoattractmoremembers.
In2012, theSolomonIslandsWomenin BusinessAssociationlaunchedthebi-monthlyMere’s(women’s)Marketin Honiara,offeringwomenasafe spacetoselltheir products.Arecordnumberof90 womenregisteredat theOctober2013 market.
Mostwomenvendorsearnsignificantlymorein threedays atthemarket than they doin anormal monthoftradingelsewhere.Some nowopttosell only attheMere’sMarket,whichmeansthey canspendmoretimeathome in betweenmarkets, preparingnew goodsforsale.
Improving economic outcomes for womenPage 1 of 17
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Improving economic outcomes for womenPage 1 of 17
[1]Based in Bangladesh, BRAC is one of the largest non-government organisations in the world.
[2]BRAC, 2013. BRAC Annual Report 2012. Bangladesh, p. 36.
[3]BRAC, 2013. BRAC Annual Report 2012. Bangladesh, p. 37.
[4]United Nations Capital Development Fund / United Nations Development Programme, Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme, 2013. Financial Inclusion and Gender in the Pacific. Suva, p. 2.
[5]World Bank, 2011. World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development. Washington, p. 215.
[6]AusAID, 2012. Vanuatu TVET Sector Strengthening Program Phase II: Final Evaluation Report. Canberra, pp. 4 & 41.
[7]World Bank, 2012. World Development Report 2013: Jobs. Washington, p. xiii.
[8]Enterprise Challenge Fund, 2013. Women’s Economic Empowerment, Practice and Policy Implications
from the Enterprise Challenge Fund. Canberra, p. 7.
[9]Asian Development Bank, 2013. Progressing Reform: Developments and Achievements in 2012/13 Pacific
Private Sector Development Initiative. Sydney, p. 22.
[10]The Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development program focuses on improving safety for women, increasing the number of women leaders and improving economic outcomes for women in the Pacific.
[11]Commander of the British Empire.