Uzbekistan Country Gender Assessment: Update

Box 9: Housing for Integrated rural Development Investment Program—

Outcomes of the Gender Action Plan
after women in the program areas were encouraged to apply for housing loans, 28.6% of all applications in 2015 were submitted by women.
Most outreach campaigns under the gender action plan and participating commercial banks gender policies were implemented in close consultation and coordination with the Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan and its regional branches.
applicants were ranked on a 19-question scorecard, which gave preference to women by awarding extra points to teachers and health-care workers (female-dominated professions), widowed and divorced women with children, and persons with home-based businesses (also mostly women). In 2012–2015, women
became the registered owners of 4,300 houses (26.5% of the total) constructed under the Housing for Integrated Rural development Investment program (HIRdIp).^a
the availability of piped water inside the house and access to sustainable, high-quality electricity and natural gas allowed families to purchase time- and labor-saving home appliances, significantly reducing the household workload and time burden of women beneficiaries. Many female HIRdIp beneficiaries used their increased spare time to start home-based businesses (e.g., sewing, baking, and poultry and livestock growing).
Better feeder roads and streetlights, social infrastructure (including pre-schools), shopping centers, food markets, bakeries, and hair salons generated new jobs, mostly for women.
In many cases, spouses are co-borrowers of loan. Consequently, they assume equal responsibility for loan payments. Besides repaying their mortgage, spouses need to calculate their family expenditures. Joint financial commitments strengthen family relations and encourage entrepreneurial activities.^b
In 2015–2016, women established 9,723 (31.2%) new small and medium enterprises (SMes) in the rural areas, and they owned 823 of 2,003 (41.1%) SMes established by HIRdIp home buyers. In 2016, women received 413 of 1,009 (40.9%) micro-loans and 368 of 796 (46.2%) micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSMe) loans issued to HIRdIp home buyers.
Indoor toilets, bathrooms, and hot water in new buildings improved health and hygiene. Children benefited from having their own space where they could lay, read, or do their lessons.
Rural women, particularly young wives, said that living in houses built under the HIRdIp is a dream goal for many families. Higher education for married women has been more strongly encouraged, as families become more aware of its benefits and value for the future of the family.^c
another important outcome was pCBs’ (the National Bank of Uzbekistan, Qishloq Qurilish Bank, and Ipoteka Bank) adoption of gender policies (part III, Section 1).
^a adB. 2016. Completion Report: Uzbekistan: Housing for Integrated Rural Development Investment Program. Manila.
^b almost half (46.8%) of the respondents to the Institute for Social Research survey stated their willingness to start a MSMe. Institute for Social Research under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan for adB. 2016. Socio-economic Survey of HIRD Beneficiary Households.
^c adB. 2016. Uzbekistan: Housing for Integrated Rural Development Program. Social and Gender Survey. Uzbekistan Resident Mission.
50 Uzbekistan Country Gender Assessment Update

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