SEAGEN Waves Newsletter, Issue No. 1, 2015

8/20/2019 SEAGEN Waves Newsletter, Issue No. 1, 2015

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Welcome to the first 2015 issue of SeaGen Waves – a newsletter highlighting

the gender and development initiatives and activities of the Southeast AsiaRegional Department (SERD).

This special issue on Health and Education showcases SERD’s efforts to advancewomen’s well-being and capability, to enable them to live healthy and productive

lives.

Poor health disproportionately affects women because of their specific health needs

during the reproductive years and their traditional role as family health careproviders. Women face challenges in meeting their health needs due to a lack of

access to quality health and maternal care services and limited knowledge of healthand nutrition. The articles on health showcase how ADB-supported projects have

addressed the financial, geographic and cultural barriers to maternal and childhealth by building capacity of and providing more resources to frontline service

providers, linking them to back-up and referral services at the district and

provincial levels, and by mobilizing community to be informed and accountable.

The case studies on education highlight how our projects have addressed access

and equity issues to increase girls’ and ethnic minorities’ participation in lower

secondary education, who are currently disadvantaged by poverty, ethnicity andgeography. The story on upper secondary and professional secondary education

emphasizes our efforts to improve the quality of teacher education in Viet Nam and

to make it more accessible for ethnic minorities and women.

We hope that you find these stories inspiring. Please feel free to provide us with

ideas and stories for the next issue.

Uzma Hoque

Senior Social Development Specialist (Gender and Development)Office of the Director GeneralSoutheast Asia Department

Special thanks to Leavides Cabarrubias and Ien Lee Villanueva for their invaluable support in

putting together this issue of SEAGEN Waves.

Gender and Development News

Volume 10, Issue 1

Southeast Asia Regional Department

July 2015


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The Second Decentralized Health Services Project

tackled the alarming rates of maternal and infantmortality in Indonesia. Maternal and child health care

services were brought closer to the villages by

constructing new health facilities, training midwives toprovide quality service to villagers, and implementing

village-level programs to address maternal and childhealth issues. Read more…

Table of Contents

1. Bringing Good Health to Villages: Supporting Decentralized Maternal and Child

Health Services in Indonesia

2. Breaking Barriers: Helping Girls Access Quality Secondary Education in Lao

PDR

3.

Fostering Healthier Communities: Improving Health and Disease Prevention in

Viet Nam

4. Educating the Educators: Expanding Access to Better Quality Teacher’s

Training in Viet Nam

5. On the Way to Better Health: Advancing Women and Children’s Health and

Nutrition Status in Indonesia.

6. News and Events

Bringing Good Health to Villages:

Supporting Decentralized Maternal and Child Health Services in Indonesia

Breaking Barriers:Helping Girls Access Quality Secondary Education in Lao PDR

More and more girls and ethnic minorities are enrolling in

lower secondary schools in Lao PDR. The Basic

Education Sector Development Program (BESDP)addressed some of the barriers to girls’ entry in LSE by

offering scholarship support and constructing newschools in underserved areas. Read more…

Fostering Healthier Communities:Improving Health and Disease Prevention in Viet Nam

Through the Preventive Health System SupportProject, communities have been empowered to prevent

the occurrence and spread of infectious diseases within

their villages. The project strengthened the healthsurveillance system and the capacity of health staff to

detect, prevent, and control diseases. Read more…


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Interventions under the Upper Secondary and

Professional Teacher Development Project openedopportunities for more ethnic minorities to become

teachers. The quality of teachers training was enhancedthrough new methodologies that encourage creativity andanalytical thinking among students. Read more…

Educating the Educators:

Expanding Access to Better Quality Teachers’ Training in Viet Nam

On the Way to Better Health:Advancing Women and Children’s Health and Nutrition Status in Indonesia

The Nutrition Improvement through Community

Empowerment Project has enabled women to improve

their health as well as that of their families by increasingtheir knowledge and skills on food, nutrition, and health

care. The project made it possible for community people

to access health and nutrition services within theirvillages. Read more…


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Bringing Good Health to Villages:Supporting Decentralized Maternal and Child Health Services in Indonesia

A large number of women in Indonesia die during childbirth. Especially in thepoorest provinces and among the poorest households, women give birth at home

without the assistance of qualified health professional. Many infants die or are born

underweight, and continue to suffer from malnutrition. Limited access to qualityhealth services and lack ofinformation on nutritional and

health care needs during and afterpregnancy are critical factorsseverely affecting the health of

women and children.

Improving the health and

nutritional status of women andchildren was a key objective of the

Second Decentralized Health

Services Project. To ensure this,

it focused on improving the qualityof health services at the district

and village level; increasing accessto health facilities and services;and mobilizing communities to

address maternal and child health issues.

Building capacity of health workers

In the villages, midwives are the first contact and the primary health service

providers for the rural population. However, they often lack the capacity to providematernal and child health care due to limited training. To address this, the project

provided training to 6,375 village and district-level midwives on maternal and

newborn care, including management of low birth weight. Scholarships wereoffered to 2,147 midwives, doctors, and maternal and child health workers forfurther training in regional health colleges. The training of midwives benefitted a

large proportion of women who comprised about 80% of the staff in village healthposts ( poskesdes).

Constructing health facilities in underserved areasHealth facilities are sometimes beyond the reach of the poor especially in remote

areas due to distance and transport costs, or the services are inadequate because

of lack of equipment. The project supported the establishment of 449 poskesdes incommunities where there are no health posts. Trained nurses and midwives wereplaced in most rural villages, with 85% of the midwives residing in the poskesdes.

Twenty one health centers and 2 district hospitals were constructed in districtswhere there were none, bringing the services closer to underserved populations. Atotal of 40 existing health centers and district and provincial hospitals wereupgraded and 273 health centers were provided with equipment. The design of

these facilities ensured the availability of delivery rooms and post-delivery roomswhich ensure women’s privacy, and provided separate toilets and bathrooms formen and women. In addition, medical equipment and ambulances were provided todistrict hospitals, which ensured that people who need immediate medical

attention, especially those living in remote areas, can be brought to hospitalsimmediately.

Feeding sessions for mothers and underweightchildren. Photo by Barbara Lochmann.


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Mobilizing communities to address health issues

Limited awareness by local communities of health

issues and how to address these, and of the range ofservices available for them, also contribute to the low

utilization of public health services. The projectsupported the government’s desa siaga (alert village)

program which uses a community mobilizationapproach to promote safe pregnancies and deliveries

at the village level. Village forums were established toincrease awareness on maternal and child health.

Facilitators were recruited from the villages, with

women comprising 60% of 90 facilitators. They weretrained to help villages prepare their action plans to

address maternal and child health issues.

Based on the village action plans, the project funded 732 activities (one for each

project village), which were mostly allocated for: construction of poskesdes;support for activities of health forums (health education, feeding sessions for

mothers and underweight children); and training village midwives in maternal and

newborn care, breastfeeding, and timely referral to appropriate hospitals.

Making family planning work for villagers

Access to family planning services allows women and their families to make

informed decisions on childbearing and spacing of children. Availability ofcontraceptives averts unplanned pregnancies that sometimes lead to unsafeabortion, which is a major contributing factor in maternal deaths in Indonesia. To

bring the program closer to the communities, poskesdes were registered as familyplanning clinics to serve the villages. Services included distribution ofcontraceptives, targeting poor and vulnerable groups. About 2,197,781 poor and

urban slum dwellers received contraceptive services. By 2012, the use of modern

contraceptives in the project provinces increased to 55.2% from 49.6% in 2003.

Trainings were provided to 38,650 family planning field workers to ensure that theyprovide quality services including counseling and information dissemination.

Women comprised 50% of the trainees. To raise awareness on the importance of

family planning and the available services, as well as to reach a wide range ofpeople in the localities, the project: (i) distributed 4,783 information, education,

and communication materials; and established (ii) 3,022 information and

counseling centers for adolescent reproductive health; (iii) 90 family planningdistrict offices; and (iv) 3,970 private family planning clinics.

The project significantly contributed in increasing the utilization of

maternal and child health services by 30%. Obstetric deliveries attended byskilled medical staff increased remarkably from 56.5% in 2003 to 74.9% in 2012.

The percentage of births in hospitals was higher in project villages (28%) than innon-project villages (17%) and the percentage of births at home was lower in

project villages (33.7%) than non-project villages (49%). The number of children

weighed at the health posts increased from 60% in 2007 to 67.5% in 2010. Theseachievements can be attributed to increased access to health facilities with better

equipment that cater to women’s needs; improved quality of services provided by

trained health professionals; and increased awareness and capacity of communitymembers to address maternal and child health issues within their villages.

For more information, please contact Barbara Lochmann, Senior Social Sector Specialist, SERD,[email protected]

Desa Siaga is defined as “avillage that has resources,capability, and readiness toovercome health problems”. Itis a strategy introduced by theDepartment of Health for health

investment at the grass rootslevel.

The Desa Siaga aims to ensurethat each childbirth is attendedby skilled midwife at anadequate facility throughincreasing communityawareness and preparedness.


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Breaking Barriers:Helping Girls Access Quality Secondary Education in Lao PDR

For many girls and ethnic minorities in remote rural villages, the prospect ofentering lower secondary education is low. Poverty and distance to schools are key

barriers that are hindering them from enrolling in secondary schools even if they

have completed primary education. The Basic Education Sector DevelopmentProgram (BESDP) aimed to address these by constructing schools in areas wherethere are no lower secondary schools, and providing scholarships targeted at poor

students, girls, and ethnic minorities.

By project end, girls’ transition rate from primary to secondary school increased to

87.2% from 75.9% in 2004, outpacing the increase for boys and narrowing the

gender gap in lower secondary education (LSE). The enrollment rate for both girlsand boys rose from 54% in 2004 to 69% in 2012.

The construction of new schools in underserved areas encouraged more

girls, who previously had to drop out due to distance, to continue their

secondary education. A total of 28 new lower secondary schools were

constructed and equipped, which included 112 standard classrooms. In addition,144 classrooms were constructed in existing schools. These were intended to

address lack of schools or inadequate classrooms in 20 districts in six poorprovinces where female students, especially ethnic girls, have high dropout rates.

The facilities were designed to meet girl’s

need for sanitation and privacy byproviding separate toilets for boys andgirls, with access to water provided by the

project and/or the community. Lightingand electricity were also installed toensure greater security for girls.

Scholarship programs targeted poorstudents, girls, and ethnic minorities.

Launched in 2009, the Lower Secondary

Student Grant Program (LSSGP) providedscholarships to 1,638 poor students,including 841 girls (comprising 51.3%).

The scholarships were intended to cover

all four years of the extended LSE cycle,with priority given to girls and children

from poor families and ethnic groups. The

program has reduced dropout amongtargeted poor children, with 1,556

recipients —including 797 girls (51%) and1,168 children from ethnic groups

(75.1%)—successfully completing grade 9.Project monitoring visits revealed that

many of the scholars excelled as highperformers in their classes.

The project significantly contributed in improving girls’ and boys’ access toand completion of LSE. The national gross enrollment rate rose from 54% in2004 to 69% in 2012. Dropout rates for females fell from roughly 11% to 8%, and

Pheng Bounma of Nongkhet District,Xiengkhuang Province, is one of thebeneficiaries of the BESDP scholarshipprogram. A 17-year old Laotai girl, she wasoverage in completing primary school, andhad low prospects of entering secondary

education.

“If I had not received scholarship support, Iwould likely have dropped out already, likemost girls my age in our village,” she shares.


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from 13% to 10% for males. The number of

LSE graduates rose from 58,200 to 69,219.

Girls outpaced boys in terms of the number ofgraduates: between 2006 and 2011, female

LSE graduates rose by more than 11%, morethan double the increase in male graduates.

The increase in girls’ participation in LSE has

been noted in some villages. In KhangviengPrimary and Secondary School in Mok District,

the school principal remarked that in her

village, it is typical to expect that by age 13 or14, girls are already married and are no

longer in school. Now, more girls are enteringand staying in lower secondary school.

The project ensured the quality of LSE

through curriculum reforms and trainingof teachers. The project supported the

development of new national curriculum,particularly for extending the secondary

education cycle to 7 years while strengtheningthe quality of LSE. Women’s organizations participated in national curriculum workshops

to provide inputs related to gender and to ensure that all materials are free ofgender and ethnic biases. For instance, the new textbooks and teacher guidesinclude graphics that portray girls and boys performing the same tasks.

Teachers were trained to teach underthe new curriculum, to use newtextbooks and teacher guides. Women

comprised 46% of the 4,030 grade 6teachers and 51% of the 4,215 grade 7teachers trained. The Project trained

more than half of all grade 6–7

teachers nationwide. An assessmentconducted after the trainings revealedremarkable increase in the trainees’

ability to teach the new curriculum

using more modern, student- centeredmethodology.

The project succeeded not only in

improving male and female

enrollment in and completion ofLSE but also in enhancing students’

learning outcomes. The project

completion report noted that in recentyears, both girls’ and boys’ performance had improved in both score s on thenational examinations at the end of LSE and olympiad competitions, with particular

increases for girls in science and math.

For more information, please contact Christopher Spohr, Principal Social Sector Specialist (SERD),[email protected]

Waomona, 15 years old, is one ofvery few girls in Khangvieng Primaryand Secondary School in MokDistrict. Through project-supportedscholarship, she enrolled in LSE andis now in Grade 8. She is determined

to finish her studies and become ateacher someday. Her familysupports her, allowing her to helpwith farming and chores duringweekends.

Khonsavanh Souvannachoumkham is anEnglish teacher in Ban Seuth Lower SecondarySchool in Kong District, Champassackprovince. She attended the project’s 2011 in-service teacher training. She says that inaddition to preparing her to deliver lessons

under the new curriculum and textbooks, shenow has better skills in lesson planning, andin applying learner-centered approaches todevelop her students’ thinking skills.


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Ms. Ca Thi Hoa (left) and Ms. Ha ThiPhong, from Chieng Mung commune,Mai Son district, Son La province.

“We moved animals (pigs,buffalos, chicken, ducks.) farfrom our house -on-stills’ground floor just 4- 5 yearsago. Thanks to knowledgeintroduced by the project, wenow have cleaner and lesssmelly surroundings,” saysTong Thi Chinh, 24-year oldmother of 2, from Chieng Mungcommune, Mai Son district, SonLa Province.

Fostering Healthier Communities:Improving Health and Disease Prevention in Viet Nam

“We no longer have stomach ache or diarrheaso often,” says Ms. Ha Thi Phong of Son La

province. She shares that through health

information campaigns under the PreventiveHealth System Support Project, she and herfellow community members learned how to

prevent common diseases. For instance, theynow boil their drinking water.

“J ust 3- 4 years ago, we still drank water from

the stream while we went to work in the field.Now, we boil our water. When we go to the

fields, we bring boiled water with us,” she says.

Ms. Ca Thi Hoa, her neighbor, also shares, “I

now wash my hands with soap before feeding

my child. Before, I did not know that I had todo this.”

The project aimed to improve disease prevention in 46 provinces and prioritizedthe poorest 17 provinces with a high burden of infectious diseases. High prevalence

of diseases disproportionately affects women, who are traditionally responsible forfamily health care including taking care of sick family members.

At the village level, combating diseases entailed a change in behavior

related to health and hygiene among community members. Informationcampaigns on causes, symptoms, and prevention of

common diseases such as malaria and dengue, and

promotion of positive behavior on health, sanitation,and hygiene, were crucial in empoweringcommunities to prevent and control diseases within

their localities.

Communities were reached through leaflets,

posters, CDs/VCDs/DVDs, radio and TV spots. Thesewere developed taking into account specific health

needs of women, men, and children (includingmaterials on diseases common to women and

children; breastfeeding; proper nutrition, etc.).Thirteen provinces produced materials in ethnic

minority languages to ensure that these were easily

understood by villagers.

“Before the project, we had to conduct outreach to

community people, but we did not have manymaterials for information dissemination. Afterattending project trainings, we received these

materials and learned how to use them. Weconducted outreach events, disseminatinginformation on avian influenza, diarrhea, hygiene

and environment protection, etc. We found that the


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“I especially appreciate that the project had organized the specializedtraining program in Son La city, whichenabled me to attend. If the trainingwas delivered in Hanoi, I would nothave been able to attend,” says Ms. ViThi Mi Son, a Medical Doctor and Headof Health Occupational Division atPreventive Health Center in Son La

province. She attended a 3 yearSpecialization program on preventivehealth, a 2-month training onenvironment supervision, and a 2-month training on occupational healthexamination.

“I benefited greatly from all thetraining. They helped me gainconfidence in my work,” she says.

materials are easy to use, and community people also found these easy to

under stand,” shared village health workers Ca Thi Hoc, Hoang Thi A, and Ha Van

Tieng, of Mai son district, Son La province.

Community members have begun taking actions to prevent diseases, such asmoving their animals away from their homes, boiling their drinking water, and

washing their hands before eating. The project end-survey showed that 91%-100%of female members of ethnic minority households, and 93% - 100% of malemembers, demonstrated average to good knowledge on disease symptoms andprevention for the diseases assessed (e.g. malaria, dengue fever).

Health staff were trained to provide betterservices on detection, prevention andcontrol of diseases. A range of trainings

were provided to improve capacity of healthworkers at provincial, district, commune andvillage levels, including specialized courses on

public health, preventive medicine, andlaboratory testing/technique. Preventive care

for women and children and family diseasecontrol were among the trainings given to

district and commune health staff.

Women accounted for 62% (8,933 out of

14,443) of health workers trained, with 7,090(49%) belonging to ethnic minority groups. Ofthe total trainees, women comprised 49% inpost-graduate training; 65% in technical

trainings of all kind; 68% community healthtraining; and 53% of about 4,925 villagehealth workers (VHWs) trained.

The project conducted the trainings inlocations convenient for women who are

unable to travel to distant venues due to

family responsibilities. Long-term trainingsat the provincial level, in venues close to thework station and homes, created opportunities

for female staff to benefit from the project and

to advance their career.

Interviews with participants revealed that the trainings resulted in improved

knowledge, skills, confidence, and independence in doing their work and/or leadingtheir departments. Female participants in the training on food safety testing and

biochemistry water testing, reported that they improved their skills in taking,conserving, carrying samples from the sample-taking spot to the lab based on

standards introduced in the training.

Improving the surveillance system, the primary tool in collecting the patterns,causes, and effects of diseases, was a crucial step in ensuring better tracking and

monitoring of public health threats. The development of software for electronic

communicable disease surveillance (e-CDS) ensured a more efficient datacollection. Among the 3,000 staff from central, provincial and district levels who

were trained on e-CDS software utilization, female staff who were interviewed


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shared that by using the e-CDS software and the skills they learned, they have

saved about one day and a half in recording and preparing monthly report for

epidemic surveillance, and in responding to epidemics. The quality of theirreporting also improved.

The project also provided equipment for improved detection of communicable and

non-communicable diseases, and laboratory equipment for provincial preventivehealth centers.

By project end, remarkable reductions in the incidence of certain diseases

were noted. Malaria cases per 100,000 people decreased by 59% nationally

between 2005 and 2012, and by more than 85% in the project areas. The numberof cases of tuberculosis (TB) fell by 64% between 2005 and 2012 in the target

regions, due partly to significant improvements in the case detection rate. Inaddition, the Project has made significant contributions in strengthening the

capacity for case detection and confirmation in the areas of non-communicablediseases, food safety, and occupational health.

The improvements in disease control and prevention alleviated women’s burden in

their role as family health care providers. Further, the project innovation inbringing training closer to female health staffs’ work stations and home created

new opportunities for the advancement of women’s learning and careerdevelopment.

For more information, please contact Barbara Lochmann, Senior Social Sector Specialist, SERD,[email protected]


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Educating the Educators:Expanding Access to Better Quality Teachers’ Training in Viet Nam

For Thach Thi Phat, an ethnic minoritygirl from Tra Vinh province, becoming

a teacher is a dream come true. Her 3

older siblings were not able to go toschool due to poverty. With sheerdetermination to achieve her dream of

becoming a teacher someday, shefinished primary and secondary school,and took the entrance examination for

Can Tho University, Department of

Teacher Training. When she passed theexam, her family was very proud, but

they were worried that they will not be

able to support her.

Phat is very thankful that she received

scholarship support from the UpperSecondary and ProfessionalTeacher Development Project,

which enabled her to finish her studies.

She is now a teacher of literature atthe Ethnic Minority Boarding School inTra Vinh province.

The key objectives of the project wereto expand access to teacher training

for ethnic minority students,

particularly women; and to improve

the quality of upper and professionalsecondary teacher training.

To address the underrepresentation of ethnic minority groups amongteacher trainees, the project provided targeted support to ethnic minority

students, particularly women. Scholarships were awarded to 5,044 ethnic

minority upper secondary (US) and professional secondary (PS) students in 17teacher training institutes (TTIs), out of which 63% were awarded to women.Based on a project tracer study, the majority of scholars completed the scholarship

program.

The project constructed and upgraded facilities and provided equipment in six TTIs

located in predominantly ethnic minority areas, to meet the increasing enrolmentof ethnic minority students. Improvements included new multi-function buildings,

lecture halls, libraries, running and gymnastic grounds.

Bridging courses were provided for ethnic minority students to fill the gap

between the skills they acquired in lower secondary schools and the entry

requirements of the TTIs. The project supported the development ofinstructional materials aimed at improving the quality of bridging courses to helpethnic minorities keep abreast of the improvements in TTI curriculum, and facilitate

their smooth transition to a more challenging academic environment. Trainings on

“My dream of becoming a teacher has cometrue. Now that my parents are old and can nolonger work, I can afford to take care of them,”

says Thach Thi Phat.She shares that before receiving thescholarship grant, her parents found it hard tocome up with enough money to send to herevery week, and they would sometimes borrowfrom relatives or neighbors so they could sendto her. She worried about food, schoolsupplies, and other necessities all the time.She had to take part-time job to support

herself.

“The scholarship meant a lot to me. It helpedme overcome the hard life in the university

period and gave me the feeling of being caredfor. I hope the new poor ethnic minoritystudents will be as lucky as I was.”


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using the bridging materials were conducted for 476 ethnic minority students, of

whom 81% were women.

Improving the quality of teacher

training is crucial in enablingteachers to produce a skilled

workforce that can meet thedemands of a growing economy. This

includes developing methodologies thatfoster creativity, analytical and problem-

solving skills among students. The

project supported the development ofcurriculum and teaching methodology

that shifts from passive to activelearning, through more creative and

student-centered teaching, including theuse of information technology.

Women comprised 55% of the 14,954

teachers who participated in teachertraining and workshops on developing

new TTI pre-service courses and trainingmaterials that are aligned with newschool curriculum, improving content

and methodology of training programs,

and use of information technology inteaching.

TTI lecturers and teachers weresupported to obtain in-service training,through scholarships for Masters

Degrees in reputable TTIs. Priority wasgiven to female teachers, who comprised65% of the 551 scholarship recipients. Atotal of 2,539 (62% women) teachers

were also trained on developinginstructional materials, and improvingrelevance of content and methods in all

US and PS in-service training.

The project also supported training ofabout 9,326 (40% women) managers of

education centers and secondary ethnic boarding schools, key teachers and stafffrom all 63 provinces, to strengthen their capacity for education planning and

management. Gender and ethnic minority issues were integrated in trainingmaterials and sessions. Training on culture and customs of ethnic minorities for

teachers and managers of universities and pre-university colleges were alsoconducted. A framework was developed for management of the teaching

workforce. Support was also provided to 12 TTIs – including 6 TTIs in ethnic

minority regions - for improving classrooms, laboratories, and workshops, andupgrading equipment. The project provided a short-term training course on properO&M to 129 TTI staff (67 females, or about 52% of total trainees).

“Now, everything is so different. I am mostimpressed with the students’ enthusiasmand progress in their studies,” shares DangVu Kim Chi, an English teacher at Can ThoUniversity’s Department of TeacherTraining. She received a scholarship from

the project in 2012 to take her Masters’Degree in Australia. She was trained on anew pedagogy that encourages students’curiosity, creativity and problem-solvingskills, to explore complex ideas, and toactively participate in class. Her knowledge,skills, and teaching methods improvedsignificantly.

“Before I participated in the MA program,my teaching method was quite traditional ,”she recalls. “I felt my lessons were quiteboring. I also noticed that the studentswere very passive, always waiting for myinstructions to do the exercises. I realizedthat but did not know how to improve it. I

just followed the same teaching methodthat I was taught ,” Chi says.

Now, she knows how to encouragestudents’ active participation in class. Shehas also gained more confidence in teachingher classes. Chi has become a respectedteacher in the university. She is activelyinvolved in doing research on teachingmethodologies, developing new curriculumor improving the current curriculum, andparticipating in teacher training activities forthe Mekong River Delta region.


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More than forty thousand upper secondary and professional secondary

teachers, education managers, and heads of boarding schools, benefitted

from capacity building trainings, including pre-service and in-servicetraining programs, use of information technology, education planning and

management. More than half of the participants were women, and a largeproportion belonged to ethnic minority groups. Improvements in the curriculum

and teaching methodology, including training materials that integrate gender andethnic minority issues, are expected to be institutionalized and benefit training

institutes, teachers and students in the coming years.

For more information, please contact Eiko Izawa, Senior Education Specialist, SERD,[email protected]


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On the Way to Better Health:Advancing Women and Children’s Health and Nutrition Status in Indonesia

Improving the nutrition status of children under 5 years and pregnant and lactatingwomen was the goal of the Nutrition Improvement through Community

Empowerment Project. It sought to address the high prevalence of malnutrition

among children and pregnant women, especially in the eastern part of the countrysuch as in the provinces of East and West Nusa Tenggara.

Malnutrition, usually caused by insufficient intake of nutritious foods and micro-nutrients, can lead to serious health problems such as stunting, impaired mentaldevelopment, and vulnerability to illness. Malnutrition in pregnant women has been

associated with low birth weight and maternal deaths. Unfortunately, women are

often powerless to prevent this due to lack of access to adequate sources ofnutrition, and limited knowledge of nutritional needs and related information

necessary to improve their health.

To help nutritionally at-risk women and children access nutrition supplements, theproject distributed micronutrients (iron tablets or syrup), paying particular

attention to poor women who had limited resources to purchase adequate food forthemselves or their children. By 2013, the number of women receivingmicronutrients at sub-district health centers ( puskesmas) increased to 33% from

29% in 2007. About 450,000 children under 5 years received micronutrients

named Taburia each year from 2011 and 2012. More than 95% of themothers claimed that their children had become more active and cheerfulafter taking Taburia.

Women’s awareness and practicalknowledge on food and nutrition was

enhanced through monthly meetings in

posyandus (integrated health posts).

About 49,225 pregnant womenwho attended monthly meetingsgained increased awareness and

practical knowledge on food,nutrition, and health care for

pregnant women and infants.

Women who were interviewedremarked that they learned how toprepare and select nutritious foods that

meet the nutritional needs of pregnant

women, young children, and otherfamily members; feeding techniques

and practices relating to infants andyoung children; and the importance of

breast-feeding. Some posyandus ran

exercise classes for pregnant women.

Village-level health and nutrition

services were established or upgradedto cater to women and children’sneeds. Posyandus’ services were

expanded to include classes for

mothers and pregnant women, cooking demonstrations, feeding of infants and

Ibu Aminah from lingkungan TalamangapeKelurahan Raya, South Sulawesi, could not be

happier about her baby’s health and growthrate. She is thankful that she attendedmonthly posyandu meetings to learn aboutproper food, nutrition, and health care forpregnant women. She also learned theimportance of pre-natal check-ups, and madeit a point to regularly consult midwives ordoctors at puskesmas ( subdistrict healthcenters). She gave birth to a healthy babygirl.


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young children, and nutrition counseling. These were financed through the

community nutrition packages (CNPs). CNPs were village-level grants provided to

1,800 villages and urban neighborhoods to improve nutrition status of women andchildren within their communities. Through the CNPs, facilities of 8,028 posyandus

were upgraded. More than 1,800 primary schools received small-scale water andsanitation infrastructure, ensuring access to safe water and better sanitation, thus

helping prevent illness among school children.

Innovative activities such as the construction of fishponds, training on foodprocessing, and collective poultry ensured sustainability of posyandu operations

after project completion. Ibu Murni from West Nusa Tenggara shared that her

village was able to construct a fishpond from the grant. Fish from the pond hasbeen used as complementary food provided monthly by the posyandu. Even after

project completion, they could finance posyandu operations through proceeds fromselling fish.

Ibu Murni also benefitted from training on how to reuse used plastic as handicraft

material. She shared her knowledge and skills with her fellow villagers, especially

women.

“Now we are able to transform plastic garbage into plates, wallets, and bags,” she

says. They sell their products widely, even to Jakarta. This has helped themincrease their incomes, ultimately improving their ability to provide nutritious foodto their families.

Communities actively participated in selecting activities based on theirneeds. Community facilitators were recruited from the villages to help raiseawareness on nutrition, hygiene, and sanitation; and train community members in

preparing community nutrition plans. Women comprised 67% of the 900facilitators, and 70% out of 18,000 community nutrition committee members whowere mobilized to help implement the CNPs.

The capacity of health centers in providing services to addressmalnutrition was also enhanced. By project completion, all nutrition staff at the494 project-supported puskesmas had been trained on health and hygiene,

nutrition surveillance, and community involvement in nutrition and breastfeedingpromotion programs. Women comprised 77% (1,894 out of 2,460) of the stafftrained. Posyandu staff were also trained, with women comprising more than 95%

of the 16,000 trainees. Nutrition guidelines, counseling tools, and nutrition

information, education, and communication materials were distributed to guide posyandus in providing services and outreaching their constituents.

Therapeutic feeding centers (facilities designed to treat severely malnourishedchildren) at 48 puskemas were refurbished and equipped with food processing

equipment. The project also strengthened the referral system (e.g. referring casesof severe malnutrition to appropriate health facilities) between feeding centers,

posyandus, puskesmas, and district hospitals. Nutrition kits which included basicgrowth monitoring kits, source-of-nutrition dummies (for nutritional counseling),

and food processing kits, were provided to the 494 puskesmas.

By project completion, the prevalence of underweight children under 5 years oldfell to 19.6%, from 28% in 2005. The prevalence of anemia fell from 48% to 28%

for children aged 1-4 years, and to 21.7% for babies (less than one year). The

number of children under 6 months exclusively breast-fed increased from 10% in


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2005 to 41.5% in 2012. Women derived significant benefits as recipients of

micronutrients, participants in capacity building activities, and beneficiaries of

improved nutrition facilities and services.

It is envisaged that more long term positive impacts will become evident in theyears to come. It is crucial for the government, local authorities, communities and

other stakeholders to continue efforts to sustain or replicate project interventionsto ensure communities’ access to improved nutrition services.

For more information, please contact Rooswanti Soeharno, Social Sector Officer, IRM, SERD,[email protected]


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News and events

Myanmar Gender Situational Analysis (GSA) Consultation Workshop16-17 January 2015

A 2-day consultation workshop was organized by the government of Myanmar with

support from ADB and UN Women, to validate the Gender Situational Analysis. ADBhas been a key partner in preparing the GSA, which assesses achievements andremaining challenges in advancing gender equity in various areas. Representatives

from 28 government ministries, two large NGO networks, and 7 UN agencies,attended the workshop.

Gender Training for Project Officers in Viet Nam

29-30 January 2015

The 2-day training was conducted in Hanoi for a range of government project

officers of ADB-supported projects in various sectors including transport,agriculture and natural resources, and health. The training aimed to increaseawareness of provincial project management units (PPMU) staff on ADB gender

policy and requirements, and improve their skills on Gender Action Plan (GAP)implementation, monitoring and reporting. A total of 30 participants consisting ofPPMU staff and relevant government officials at the provincial level attended the

training, which was facilitated by Nguyen Thanh Giang, VRM Social Development

Officer (Gender).

Knowledge Sharing Workshop on Mainstreaming Gender in Public Works

and Transport

20 February 2015

The workshop held in Vientiane, Lao PDR was undertaken under the ADB-supported

TA Strengthening the National Commission for the Advancement of Women

Network in the Ministry of Public Works and Transport . Over 60 participants fromthe government or various government ministries attended the event to discussways to mainstream gender into planning, monitoring, and evaluation of public

works and transport sector nationwide. LRM Country Director Sandra Nicoll gavethe opening remarks. Theonakhet Saphakdy, ADB-LRM Social Development Officer

(Gender), facilitated discussions on the importance of gender in the transport

sector, and gender entry points for transport subsectors.

Regional Seminar on Women’s Employment, Entrepreneurship and

Empowerment

20-22 May 2015

The 3-day Regional Seminar held in Bangkok, Thailand was jointly organized byRSGG and the Gender Equity Thematic Group. More than 100 participants from 21

countries, representing governments, private sector, civil society organizations,

academic institutions, and development partners, as well as gender staff fromheadquarters and resident missions, attended the event. The seminar provided an

opportunity for participants to learn and discuss research findings on women’s

employment and entrepreneurship, and share lessons and experiences from genderinclusive projects.


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Gender Specialists’ Annual Consultation Workshop

25-26 May 2015

Thirty ADB gender specialists and focal points participated in the annual

consultation workshop for gender specialists held in Bangkok, Thailand. Theworkshop was divided into 2 parts: Day 1 discussed the 2015 priorities on the

Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Operational Plan (Gender OP),challenges and new approaches in project processing, and GAP implementation and

monitoring. Day 2 was dedicated to presentations and discussions on improvingmonitoring and reporting on gender equality results; working with the private

sector and strengthening partnership with development agencies; and knowledge

sessions on gender and the law, and global debates on gender equity. Theworkshop ended with a tribute to Ms. Shireen Lateef, Senior Gender Advisor to the

Vice President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development. Ms.Lateef retired in June.

Training Workshop on Gender Mainstreaming in Construction Sector in

Cambodia

29 May 2015

The training held in Phnom Penh aimed to increase participants’ awareness on

gender mainstreaming in construction sector, and to discuss the gender action plan(GAP) designed for Flood Damage Emergency Reconstruction Project (FDERP). Atotal of 55 participants consisting of project staff, government officials at the

national and provincial levels, and contractors, attended the workshop. Ms. Chandy

Chea, ADB-CARM Gender Specialist, facilitated discussions on FDERP project GAP,and strategies to ensure that women are employed in construction works.

DG Nugent meets with EFG members5 June 2015

SERD Director General James Nugent met with members of the External Forum onGender and Development (EFG) on 5 June 2015 to discuss key gender issues in theSoutheast Asia Region and how loans, grants, and TAs are used to address them.The EFG held meetings with VP Lohani, DG Nugent and other senior ADB staff to

conclude its 15th session held on 3-5 June 2015 at ADB Headquarters, Manila. TheEFG was established as a forum for dialogue between ADB and external experts ongender equality and women’s empowerment issues and concerns in the region.

Finally, SERD Countdown!

In 2014, 62% of our portfolio had gender mainstreamed projects

– that is 16 out of a total of 26 projects.Hurray! This is higher than our achievement in 2013 when

we had reached 50%.

Let’s keep on working together to ensure quality design andimplementation of GEN and EGM projects in SERD!

Documents

SEAGEN Waves Newsletter, Issue No. 1, 2015