GENDER REFORM ACTION PLAN (GRAP)

GRAP stands for Gender Reform Action Plan. There are five GRAPs one for each province and one for the National/Federal level. In February, 2000, the Government of Pakistan requested the Asian Development Bank for technical assistance in preparing Gender Reform Programme to improve the framework of gender policies and to develop institutional reform proposals outlining interventions at the federal, provincial and district level, for a proactive approach to include gender perspectives in public sector policies, programmes and projects.  As a consequence, Gender Reform Programme  was launched in August 2002.

 There are four major reforms proposed under Gender Reform Action Plan:-

The Project aims at achieving the following objectives:

• To seek transformation of the provincial government into an organization that actively practices and promotes gender equality
• To ensure that all public sector operations in the province promote gender equity and reduce gender inequality
• To make possible adequate representation of women as decision-makers in the provincial governments, both in the political and executive domain.
• To ensure that all provincial civil servants have an understanding of gender issues and are able to contribute positively towards the goal of gender mainstreaming

Scope of GRAP

The scope of GRAP includes essential reforms to deliver on the goal of gender equality, through the instruments of gender mainstreaming, these include:

§        Administrative / institutional reforms and departmental restructuring to pave way for gender-sensitive operations that ultimately lead to gender equality.

§         Political reforms that facilitate effective participation of women in political sphere.

§     Reforms in public sector recruitment process and working conditions to encourage women for employment in this sector.

§         Reforms of key processes of policy formulation and budget preparation.

GRAP will include the reform agenda; define the package of actions, the implementation strategies (including who will do what) and costs.

The ambit of these reforms does not cater for radical changes, revolutionary reforms, or changes in the entrenched patriarchal, feudal and tribal structures (that continue to influence Pakistan’s legal and social structures). Also GRAP will not carry out or advocate religious critiques, concepts of drastic social changes or the institution of family.

GRAP does not go into areas like land reforms, economic reforms and monetary / fiscal policies. However, GRAP will cater to some issues that may not be directly reflected in GRAP, but can be linked up with other initiatives: for example violence against women (which can be linked to the Access to Justice Programme and the Family Protection Project), and changes in discriminatory laws against women (which can be linked to the work at the Federal level).

GOALS

The goal of GRAP is to bring about such changes in the structure and process of the government that it promotes equity among men and women, and to enable it to deliver on the rights and entitlements of women. Gender mainstreaming will be the strategy to realize this goal.

            Gender mainstreaming would mean:

§        Women can participate as decision makers in the public sphere and their concerns can be addressed effectively

§         Policies are developed on the basis of gender analysis and sex disaggregated data

§        Delivery of government services are equitable

RATIONALE OF GRAP

The Gender and Governance Reform Agenda (as it is expressed in GRAP) is about creating space for women within the existing systems, while trying to change these systems for the better. The analytical studies had reflected that women in Punjab exhibit poor social status as compared to men, the departments generally lack projects or programs to bridge these gender gaps, and measures in this regard are inadequate and poorly designed. GRAP will try to bring about changes through policy, institutional and budgetary reforms in the public sector, and enhanced participation of women in the political domain, thereby contributing to the emancipation and empowerment of women.

PRINCIPLES OF GRAP

(i)                 Gender Mainstreaming is the key policy instrument to be followed 

‘Welfare’ and ‘WID’ approaches have failed to ameliorate the sufferings of Pakistani women because of their inherent weaknesses. GRAP would further gender mainstreaming as the instrument of choice as it incorporates a GAD perspective. It aims at enabling the provincial government to look more comprehensively at the relationships between men and women in their access to and control over resources, decision-making, and benefits and rewards within a particular system.

(ii)             Gender Mainstreaming is an issue of good governance

Gender Mainstreaming is not a women’s issue, it is an issue of good governance. It seeks to ensure that institutions, policies, and programs respond to the needs of men and women on the basis of equity. It aims to enhance the accountability of government to achieve results for all citizens. It is about the fact that gender-aware policies and programs would strengthen the social and economic life of the nation.

(iii)             Gender Equality has both political and institutional dimensions

Gender equality would mean changing the status quo. It would mean changing policies and institutions so that they actively promote gender equality.  Pursuit of this goal is to be led by political commitment for women empowerment, and to be supported by potent institutional arrangements that can bring about social transformation and redistribution of resources.

(iv)            Continued ownership and support 

Gender mainstreaming is a complex, multi-dimensional and long-term process. It is challenging and difficult. To be sustainable it would need continued political leadership, pressure from the civil society, and support of the top management of the province.

(v)               Gender Accountability 

Promotion of gender equality within the public sector cannot be accomplished without effective structures for accountability and oversight. The role of NCSW, WDD and other provincial departments would have to be clearly defined in this regard. Institutional structures would have to be designed, systems and procedures defined to ensure that adequate attention to gender perspectives and the goal of gender equality in policies, projects and programmes is given.

RISK ANALYSIS

Success of GRAP would depend upon
• Political will and management support at the highest level
• Legal and administrative framework conducive to gender equity
• Adequate provision of human and financial resources for implementation.

The risk factors that may pose significant challenge to GRAP are:

Change of Policy at the Highest Level.
In the aftermath of the elections of October 2002, new governments that have taken over in the provinces are confronted with number of other pressing issues in which apparently gender mainstreaming is not the highest priority. Moreover, the strong resurgence of religious groups in these elections has led to a situation where different political camps have different opinions regarding to women development.
The regional security situation and growing anti-western sentiment in the general population may place the issue on the back burner.

Financial Constraints
With majority of provincial finances coming from the Federal Government and they being already overstretched by growing demands of public representatives for infrastructure developments, a programme initiative like GRAP faces a threat of being marginalized unless some grant-like credit line is established from the federal government. It is true of the district government, which would invariably be looking towards the provincial government for additional resources.

Management Capacity Constraints
The officers manning the WDD have limited exposure of the cutting edge management skills. Most of them belonging to the federal and provincial ‘generalist’ cadre have only had some management training in either NIPA courses or the initial induction training done more than a decade ago.
 

Technical Capacity Constraints
The top management of WDD and the Social Welfare Offices in the district government hail mostly from the social welfare cadre, they have formal academic training in Sociology, Social Work and Community Development. But they lack the skills of gender analysis and gender mainstreaming.
 

Nascent State of District Structures
Newly created offices in most of the district are still struggling to get adequate office space, attendant logistics, and full strength of sanctioned officers. All this is further complicated by less clear lines of responsibilities regarding development projects between provincial legislators and district governments.

Suspicion Against Multilateral Initiatives
It is generally perceived that all initiatives focusing on the status of women in Pakistan are either directly or indirectly sponsored by western elements in Pakistan and this probably are not the concerns of mainstream Pakistani society. This creates problems of ownership and continued political commitment to the cause of women empowerment.

Coordination Between Line Departments & Effective Changes in The Public Sector
The bureaucracy by its very nature is always resistant to change and any change in the status quo is perceived as a threat to ‘stability’. It might be difficult to convince and motivate for this major paradigm shift. Some top and middle level managers would see it as threat to their future career prospects and the required support from them would not be forthcoming.
The output and performance has never been the hallmark of the civil service in Pakistan, be it at the federal, provincial, and the district level. Archaic procedures, office regulations and cumbersome, lack of performance incentives, plethora of overlapping rules, state of quasi-emergency all hamper the output of the civil servants.

Lack of Physical Infrastructure, Especially At District Level
The EDOs (CD) in the district governments are in an unenviable position as opposed to some of their fortunate counterparts in the districts. They have poor office accommodation (rented in most of the cases), unworkable vehicles, and in many cases non-existent computer facilities.