International Food Policy Research Institute
Fourth Floor Conference Facility
2 May 2007
This is the first seminar in a new series jointly hosted by IFPRI, IFAD and the World Bank on gender and socioeconomic development. Dr. McCarthy's presentation will consider the framework used in increasing the effectiveness of elected women representatives in local government councils as a means of improving governance and gender activities in selected areas of Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Asian Development Bank project being considered linked the 3 major pillars of ADB policy with capacity building to promote a pro-poor economic strategy including improved delivery of government services. The project focused on building and creating a sustainable local interface among government line officers, elected women representatives and their poor constituents. Outcomes of the project are considered as well as implications for projects dealing with similar issues.