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A WORLD BANK COUNTRY STUDY (*aa 20830 June 2000 Public Disclosure Authorized Ecuador Gender Review Issuesand Recommendations Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized A WORLD BANK COUNTRY STUDY Ecuador Gender Review Issuesand Recommendations The World Bank Washington,D. C. Copyright i 2000 The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/THE WORLD BANK 1818H Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20433,U.S.A. All rights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America First printing June 2000 World Bank Country Studies are among the many reports originally prepared for internal use as part of the continuing analysis by the Bank of the economic and related conditions of its developing member countries and of its dialogues with the govermnents. Some of the reports are published in this series with the least possible delay for the use of governments and the academic, business and financial, and development communities. 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CONTENTS Abstract ........................... iv Preface ........................... v Acknowledgments........................... vi List of Abbreviations and Acronyms........................... vii Executive Summary........................... viii 1. INTRODUCTION ........................... 1 2. CONTEXT ............................. 3 MACROECONOMIC SETTING ............................. 3 POVERTY .............. 5 INSTITLrTIONALFRAMEWORK ............................ 6 3. OVERVIEW OF GENDER ISSUES AND TRENDS .10 DEMOGRAPHICS.10 REPRODUCTIvEHALTH .12 GENERAL HEALTH ................................ 16............16 VIOLENCE .. 20 EDUCATION .. 23 LABOR..................................... 29 ECONOMIC CRISIS AND SOCIAL PROTECTION ...................................... 36 4. THE RURAL SECTOR.40 GENDER ROLESIN AGRICLTURE .40 Sierra.40 Cossta.41 Odente.42 LAND ....... ................... 42 Sierra.43 Costa.44 MIGRATION................................................................................................. 44 5. SUMMARY AND IMPLICATIONS OF FINDINGS .48 6. PROPOSED OVERALL STRATEGYAND PRIORITY ACTIONS .52 OVERALL STRATEGY .52 PRIORITYACTIONS .53 SECToRAL REcOMMENDAONS. .55 Health.55 Violence.56 Education.S7 Labor.58 Rural Dewlopment.t59 EconomicFluctuations and Social SaJey Nets.60 PolticalD.adenb.. and Pa.ia.ation.61.................................. ,6 Institutionalne.................................. ... 561 References.62 Pofial1-aerbip n P rrdb d n ................................................................ 6 Appendix 1: Matrix of Gender Issues by Project.68 Appendx 2: PreliminaryLessons from t.e National Rural Development Project (PRONADER). 76 S... - ABSTRACT This paper presents findings of a review of gender trends and issues in Ecuador in demographics, health, violence, education, labor markets and social protection. It also briefly describes the current macroeconomic context and poverty situation as well as recent gender-related institutional and legal advances and includes a more comprehensive section on gender issues in rural development. The report finds that Ecuador has witnessed important advances in reducing gender disparities and addressing gender-related development issues. Fertility has decreased, education inequalities have diminished, disparities in labor force participation have been reduced and advances have been made in the area of domestic violence. But issues related to gender remain. Reproductive health care remains a problem for women. As for men, accidents and violence are by far the most serious health risks among adolescent males and alcoholism and substance abuse are a serious social concern. In education, as a result of gender socialization, girls continue to follow different academic paths than boys, which affects their opportunities in the job market, their earning potential and over time, their well being. For boys, poverty has led them to enter the labor market at an early age thereby affecting their education prospects and human capital acquisition. As a long term strategy, gender policies and programs in Ecuador should address socialization processes that reinforce traditional gender roles. Short term measures, however, need to focus on the acute and immediate needs of the population. And this short term and long term gender work should also not be limited to programs targeting girls and women only but rather should also focus on boys and men. The report identifies six priority action areas. First, both female and male gender issues need to be considered when designing and implementing social safety nets and emergency assistance programs. Second, indigenous people's initiatives should be strengthened so that they address gender differences and disparities. Third, issues such as maternal mortality, AIDS and STDs, teenage pregnancy, and family planning need to be addressed in an integrated fashion under the rubric of reproductive and sexual heaith. Fourth, initiatives need to be developed to address at-risk youth. Fifth, the institutional framework on gender at the national level needs to be defined and strengthened. And sixth, an evaluation of ongoing work on gender should be carried out to examine lessons from past gender interventions. iv PREFACE Over the years, Ecuador has made considerable strides in addressing gender issues. Gender gaps in educational enrollment and attainment have decreased significantly; access to and use of family planning methods has increased broadly; and, while still inferior to men's, women's labor force participation has grown steadily over the last two decades. In terms of institutional and legal advances, the Government created the National Council for Women (CONAMU) as an autonomous entity under the Presidency, enacted the Law on Violence Against Women and the Family, and began to establish sheriff's offices for female victims of family violence. Ecuador also has a strong civil society movement, which has been largely responsible for putting gender on the public agenda. But gender continues to be an important development issue in Ecuador. Access to contraceptives remains limited for the poor; thus decreases in fertility rates have not been uniform and teenage pregnancy is highly prevalent. Maternal mortality also remains high despite efforts to improve health care services. And gender roles have also been changing thereby presenting a new set of challenges. For example, single mothers now head nineteen percent of families. In terms of the labor market, gender-based wage gaps persist even after taking into account as many variables related to education and skills as possible. As for the rural sector, even as men have migrated, development programs and policies have been slow to recognize the importance of women in the agriculture sector. Similarly, land distribution continues to be biased towards men, particularly in the Costa region. And as the report indicates, gender issues are not limited to women. Among men, accidents and violence are by far the most serious health risks among adolescent males. Alcoholism is also an important social concern in Ecuador. For boys, poverty leads them to enter the labor market at a very early age, thereby affecting their educational opportunities. And the current economic crisis has exacerbated boys' school dropout, particularly in the coastal areas. In the reproductive sphere, health programs typically exclude men and fail to consider their key family planning roles. Indeed, men's issues in Ecuador - as gender issues in and of themselves - have yet to receive the attention they deserve given their important social consequences. This report