United Nations Development Programme GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION MALI CASE STUDY TABLE OF CONTENTS KEY FACTS .................................................................................................................................. 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................ 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................................. 4 METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................................ 6 CONTEXT .................................................................................................................................... 7 Socio-economic and political context .............................................................................................. 7 Gender equality context....................................................................................................................... 7 Public administration context .......................................................................................................... 10 WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION .................................................12 POLICY AND IMPLEMENTATION REVIEW ............................................................................18 Constitution ........................................................................................................................................... 18 National development plans ............................................................................................................. 18 Gender equality policy and legislation .......................................................................................... 19 Public administration statutes and policy ..................................................................................... 22 INITIATIVES TO SUPPORT WOMEN IN PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT IN MALI ...........................30 RECOMMENDATIONS ..............................................................................................................32 CONCLUSIONS .........................................................................................................................34 ANNEX 1: BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................35 ANNEX 2: STATISTICAL DATA ON PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT .................................................37 Women’s access to Security Services .............................................................................................. 43 ANNEX 3: LOCAL GOVERNMENT STATISTICS ......................................................................47 ANNEX 4: NATIONAL GENDER POLICY: ACTION PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF PRIORITY AREA 3 ...............................................................................................................49 ANNEX 5: GOVERNMENT MINISTERS AND MEMBERS .......................................................50 ANNEX 6: CONSULTATION AND INTERVIEW GUIDE ...........................................................51 ANNEX 7: LIST OF KEY RESPONDENTS CONSULTED ..........................................................53 ANNEX 8: ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .....................................................................55 Mali Case Study 1 KEY FACTS KEY FACTS HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 175 out of 187 countries in 2011.1 INDEX RANKING GENDER 143 out of 146 countries in 2011.2 INEQUALITY INDEX TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL 118 out of 183 countries in 2011.3 RANKING % OF MEN AND 72% men (38,892); 28% women (15,103).4 WOMEN IN CENTRAL GOVERNMENT In leadership positions: 85% men (11,696); 15% women (2,058). % OF MEN AND WOMEN IN 72% men (1,733); 28% women (683).5 SUBNATIONAL GOVERNMENT AFFIRMATIVE No affirmative action for women’s representation in the ACTION public administration. 12345 1 Human Development Report (2011), UNDP. http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2011_EN_Table1.pdf 2 Human Development Report (2011), UNDP. http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2011_EN_Table4.pdf 3 Corruption Perceptions Index (2011), Transparency International. http://www.transparency.org/cpi2011/re- sults 4 See Annex 2. 5 See Annex 3. 2 Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Public Administration ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS UNDP would like to thank all colleagues, key respondents and interviewees, national and international partners, who contributed their knowledge and time towards the realization of this document. The lead author is Bintou Nimaga. Methodological guidance and substantive and technical inputs were provided by Suki Beavers (UNDP), Patrick Keuleers (UNDP), Noëlla Richard (UNDP) and Soma Chakrabarti Fezzardi (UNDP GEPA Initiative). Helpful research support and comments were also provided by Sarah Lisenbee and Emily Siu. Sincere thanks go to colleagues at the UNDP Regional Centre and UNDP Country Office in Mali, in par- ticular Fatoumata Kane, for their invaluable support to this case study, both practical and technical. We particularly would like to thank Aminata Fabou Traore (Ministry of Women’s Affairs), who peer reviewed this report. This case study was written as part of the first phase of a cross-practice and cross-thematic global UNDP Initiative on Gender Equality in Public Administration (GEPA), launched in 2011, under the leadership of Winnie Byanyima and Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi. Mali Case Study 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The objective of this case study is to understand the profile of and underlying issues relating to gender equality in public administration, specifically with regards to women’s representation as staff and in decision-making positions. In Mali, there are legal and institutional provisions to promote women’s and men’s access to career enhancement in public administration. These provisions are reflected in many national and international commitments to promote gender in public employment, as well as in the existence of public trade unions and civil society structures responsible for management and access to the public administration, as well as for mainstreaming the gender dimension. In addition, gender mainstreaming is a priority in the 3rd Poverty Reduction Strategy Framework (2012-2017 GPRSF), which addresses gender equality in the Malian public administration. Nevertheless, some challenges and weaknesses are evident. A situational analysis of the public employment sector and gender shows a very low representation of women in the public administration, especially at the higher levels. Indeed, in 2009, female employees in the Public Service accounted for only 25 percent of the total number of civil servants and 17 percent of Public Service employees. As regards the categories, women’s representation in the highest category (A) was about 15 percent. Women also had less access to the professional development opportunities that boost career prospects.6 There is also a gender imbalance in remuneration: in 2009, men earned CFAF 142,433 (about $270 USD) and women earned CFAF 124,186 (about $238 USD).7 Furthermore, because of inequalities to the detriment of women and girls in the public service recruit- ment system, fewer women than men were recruited over the period 2005-2010 – just 30 percent of the total staff over these years were women. This unequal gender situation is due to a number of constraints and difficulties before and after recruit- ment into the public administration, including: • Constraints on girls’ education, especially in secondary and higher education, which mean that they have more difficulties than men in passing competitive examinations for the civil service • Social constraints due to the status of women and girls. Initiatives to mainstream gender in the public sector include institution-building for the Ministry of Labour, a gender policy for the National Public Service and Personnel Directorate and capacity building for women. However, these initiatives are relatively new and are implemented without coordination or clear objectives. These isolated and sporadic initiatives have insufficient visibility and impact. Further- more, in special cases – for example, the public service of local authorities, security, etc. – recruitment is based on equal opportunities for men and women, with no other measures to support equality of outcome. This is important, as women have a disadvantaged starting point due to historical inequalities compared to men. 6 See relevant tables in Annex 2. 7 Assessment of Employment: Study on the Structure of Public Service Employment (2009), National Employ- ment Agency of Mali. 4 Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Public Administration EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The case study recommends strengthening existing initiatives to increase women’s access to the public administration and their development within it, as well as longer-term initiatives to give women equal access to education: • Strengthen activities to help women/girls pass the Public Service competitive examination by expanding capacity building initiatives through a strategy and action plan • Strengthen childcare facilities in the workplace • Strengthen the gender policy environment in Mali by supporting the establishment and operation- alization of the institutional mechanism of the National Gender Policy of Mali • Longer-term measures to strengthen girls’ access to education to maintain the number and quality of girls in secondary and higher