Enhancing Gender Equality in Infrastructure Development: Theories of Change, Indicators, and Sector Strategies

By Asian Development Bank

Underlining why gender equality is a core component of sustainable infrastructure design, this report considers four key ADB investment sectors in Asia and the Pacific and sets out ways to evaluate gender-enhanced project outcomes. The report outlines theories of change and indicators designed to enable gender-inclusive infrastructure investment in urban development, transport, energy, and water, sanitation, and hygiene. Designed to serve as a point of reference, it shows how better including the needs of women, increasing their role in decision-making, and raising stakeholder understanding can help deliver projects that work for everyone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Asian Development Bank
• Release date: Dec 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9789292705640

Book preview

ENHANCING GENDER EQUALITY IN INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

THEORIES OF CHANGE, INDICATORS, AND SECTOR STRATEGIES

DECEMBER 2023

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO license (CC BY 3.0 IGO)

© 2023 Asian Development Bank

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Some rights reserved. Published in 2023.

ISBN 978-92-9270-563-3 (print); 978-92-9270-564-0 (electronic); 978-92-9270-565-7 (ebook)

Publication Stock No. TCS230608-2

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22617/TCS230608-2

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Cover design by Patrick Francisco.

On the cover: Shaping Progress. On the left, a vibrant image captures engineers, men and women in hard hats, actively contributing at the Lahendong Geothermal Plant in Manado, Indonesia. On the top right, the empowering scene features an all-woman team at the Narangi Substation in eastern Guwahati, India, illustrating the transformative role of gender diversity in infrastructure.

CONTENTS

TABLES, FIGURES, AND BOXES

FOREWORD

To make infrastructure work for everyone, there needs to be a critical shift in how it is designed, delivered, and managed. The absence of affordable, convenient, and secure infrastructure services impedes the access of women to economic, political, and social opportunities and access to educational and health-care services. Achieving gender equality and empowering women is not just a moral imperative but is also a strategic necessity for sustainable infrastructure development. This understanding is gaining traction and finding resonance in key policy frameworks like the G20 Principles for Quality Infrastructure Investment, particularly Principle 5 on Integrating Social Considerations in Infrastructure Investment. Embedding the perspectives and needs of women and girls within infrastructure projects is crucial for promoting holistic economic development.

Recognizing that a significant percentage of its investment portfolio comprises investment in infrastructure, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) commits resolutely to addressing gender disparities, especially within infrastructure development. The ADB Strategy 2030 emphasizes the pivotal role of gender equality in driving socioeconomic progress across Asia and the Pacific. This commitment manifests as one of the central operational priorities. Across five strategic pillars—economic empowerment, human development, decision-making and leadership, reduced time poverty of women, and resilience to external shocks—ADB is firmly dedicated to accelerating gender equality outcomes in the region.

This is actualized through ADB’s commitment to incorporating gender-inclusive project designs in 75% of its sovereign and nonsovereign operations by 2030. This commitment aligns seamlessly with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which unites ADB and its developing member countries in their support for gender equality and women’s empowerment. This dedication extends beyond the confines of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, encompassing the broader spectrum of SDGs through the integration of gender-related targets and indicators. ADB’s emphasis