Asian development bank

Box 4: Surkhandarya Water Supply and Sanitation Project—Outcomes of the Gender Action Plan

the project benefited about 340,000 people (almost 50% women) in both rural and the urban areas.

By July 2016, the implementation of the gender action plan (Gap) had achieved impressive results. there was over 50% representation of women in all project interventions and public meetings; women made

up 68% of 153 representatives of consumer and project support groups in all subprojects; and 40% of suggestions for effective project implementation came from women.^a
positive results were achieved in health indicators (infant mortality rate reduced by 66% in Surkhandarya province), hygiene behavior and school attendance improved, and expenditure on treatment and medicines decreased.^b
Branches of the water consumers associations (WCas) keep more accurate records of water mostly through the efforts of female staff.
project outreach interventions had an impressive publication component (posters, methodological manuals, leaflets, and publications in print media), resulting in improved hygiene behavior and sanitation practices, especially among students in pilot schools.^c
these accomplishments present an important example of national ownership and a model for replication in national and international projects.
^a adB. 2016. Project Completion Report: Surkhandarya Water Supply and Sanitation Project (Loans 2492 and 2493).
Manila.
^b adB. 2016. Project Completion Report: Surkhandarya Water Supply and Sanitation Project (Loans 2492 and 2493).
Manila. Infant mortality decreased from 161 per thousand in 2005 to 55 per thousand in 2012.
^c dealing with water, sanitation and hygiene issues, and the prevention of infectious and parasitic diseases, the informational and methodological publications (in the national language) offered agricultural know-how for diverse groups of beneficiaries. the publications included Basics of Computer Literacy, training materials on all aspects of WCa operations (in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of agriculture and Water Resources), a manual on WCa bookkeeping, a model training program and pilot training manual Arrangement of WCA Operations (in cooperation with the Swiss-funded Second Rural enterprise Support project and Water Management Skills development project), and the Field Farmers Schools leaflet.
Source: adB. 2015. Project Completion Report: Surkhandarya Water Supply and Sanitation Project (Loans 2492 and 2493;
$2 million, EGM). Manila. the project was completed in June 2015.
(averaging 9–12 women per farm). Other female activities include full-time employment on the family farm (6%), crafting (2%), trading (2%), and full-time employment in the city (1%).⁹⁶ Box 6 provides some examples of WRM project impact, based on field observations and discussions with project beneficiaries as well as, Gap reports.
⁹⁶ “adB. 2014. GAP Progress Report: Uzbekistan Water Resources Management Sector Project (Loans 2492 and 2493). tashkent; adB. 2015. GAP Progress Report: Uzbekistan Water Resources Management Sector Project (Loans 2492 and 2493). tashkent; adB. 2016. GAP Progress Report: Uzbekistan Water Resources Management Sector Project (Loans 2492 and 2493). tashkent; and adB. 2017. GAP Progress Report: Uzbekistan Water Resources Management Sector Project (Loans 2492 and 2493). tashkent.
Mainstreaming Gender in ADB Operations, by Sector 31