3.0 Gender in Mali's PRSP.

3.1 Gender Analysis of the PRSP sectors

The key contributors to Mali's economic growth (2006) are the primary sector (33%), the secondary sector (22%) and the tertiary sector (25%).

3.1.1 Gender and the primary sector

The primary sector, comprising sub-sectors such as subsistence farming, export farming, livestock farming and hunting, forest farming and fishing, represent the mainstay of Malian economy, the constant progress made by the secondary and tertiary sectors notwithstanding. The primary sector employs 83.4% of the active population (Finance law of 2006) and generates over 30% of GDP (DNSI 2005-2006 economic accounts).

In Mali, women constitute close to 50.5% of total population (2006 State budget), and also represent a large part of active population, particularly in the primary sector. Women constitute the bulk of manpower in the subsistence farming and export sub-sectors All farming activities are organized around women, and they participate in the same way in the other sub-sectors.

Livestock keeping is partly their duty. Women exclusively carry out sale of milk products and game meat products. Similarly, women are the main consumers of forest farming products.

Through women's participation in production in the primary sector one can conclude that their contribution to the GDP in the sector is not and cannot be negligible. However, this contribution to wealth creation at the household, community, even national levels, is not officially recognized.

3.1.2 Gender and the secondary sector

Despite their low numbers in the secondary sector, women's participation is active. They participate in traditional gold washing. Although they are not employed in the mining industry, it is women who are left to fend for children and the old people in the community. Contribution to GDP by this sector would not be possible without huge consensual sacrifice by women.

3.1.3 Gender and the tertiary sector

Women are few in the sector and occupy largely subordinate positions. Nevertheless, without accomplishment of these menial tasks, operations in the sector would cost more, and thus reduce the amount of wealth created. The contribution of the tertiary sector to the GDP partly depends on the work done by women.

3.1.4 Gender and the informal sector

Women are many in this sector, which is not registered in national accounts. And yet the taxes the women pay from their activities contribute to the GDP. In this sector too, women contribute to generation of national wealth.

This analysis of the process of GDP creation gives an indication of the important role played by women in the process. We can therefore maintain that women play a significant part in economic growth. And yet programs established in the context of the Poverty Reduction Strategic Program rarely take women's needs into consideration with a view to improving their participation in production and generation of wealth.

The role played by women in improving economic indicators is essential, and particular attention should be paid to actions that can lead to improved women's participation in wealth generation, with sustainable development of the community in mind.

3.1.5 Access to health services

The proportion of persons with access to health services increased from 42% in 2003 to 58% in 2006. However, this rate registered a very wide gap between the urban and the rural area, 83% in the urban area against 43% in the rural area in 2006. In respect of the composition of the population, the number of women without access to health services is greater than that of men. In view of women's greater need for health care (reproductive health, problems from overworking), women need better health care than men.

Evaluation has shown that the level of satisfaction among the people was insignificant (6%), while it increased to 64% in 2004 and 65% in 2006. However, this improvement was mainly registered in the urban setting. The level of satisfaction in the rural setting fell by 3 points.

3.1.6 Access to educational services

CSLPI evaluation in terms of people's access to education services is the 10 year Education Development Program (PRODEC), and different phases of the Program for Investment in the Education Sector.

The following results were realized during the 20022006 period.

* The rate of access to educational infrastructures improved between 2001 and 2006, from 57 to 81% for first cycle establishments, and from 19 to 55% for second cycle establishments. However, a disparity between the urban and the rural was registered. It was 90% for the first cycle in urban areas and 75% in rura areas. For the second cycle the rate was 87% in urban areas and 35% in rural areas.

* From 2002 to 2006, the gross rate of enrolment in mixed schools increased from 64.4% to 75% (with 85.1% for boys and 65.1% for girls in 2006). The literacy rate among boys remained much higher than that of girls.

Despite an increase in the rate of enrolment of girls in school, the period they attend school coincides with the period when they cannot contribute to production activities. As soon as the girls are able to assist their mothers in the numerous tasks, they drop out of school. Girls also drop out for marriage. The CSLPI in its programs for the development of education, had not included any measures for maintaining the girls in school.

The low level of training received by women and the girl child does not allow them to escape poverty, and begin the process of improving living conditions of families and communities, in view of a sustainable development.

3.1.7 Access to drinking water

The CSLP retained access to clean water as one of the indicators to measure poverty. Access to clean water impacted positively on the people's health. It reduced health expenses considerably for the families. Women today meet a large part of these expenses.

A reduction of these expenses would increase women's economic potential, and contribute to the improvement of the people's living conditions. Moreover, access to clean water for all the population would allow more women to enjoy better health and become active players in an efficient and sustainable development.

Close to 78.5% of the people in 2006, were supplied with clean water against 59% in 2003. However, there exists a gap between the urban (94.5% and the rural setting (68.4%). According to CSLPI prediction, the whole population should have access to clean water. Despite improved access to clean water, women constitute the majority of people living in rural areas, and despite being the main consumers of water, fewer women were able to access it, and take advantage of the improvement.

Public authorities should increase their interventions in the sector, so that all the people and women in particular, can access clean water. This would constitute one of the potential sources of economic breakthrough for women, in view of reducing poverty in the family and in the community.

3.1.8 Access to electricity in the home

Better living conditions would impact positively on people's health. Anything that would increase the people's economic potential in general, and that of women in particular, (i) as most expenses on health are today borne by women, a reduction would contribute to wealth creation, and lead to poverty reduction (ii) women, enjoying access to better health, would be placed to fully assume their role as actors in development. According to the CSLPI report, access to electricity has remained low. Only 20% of the people have access to electricity (49% in urban areas and 2.7% in rural areas). Nevertheless, an increase was observed in households with access to electricity in urban areas, from 8% in 2001, 13% in 2003 and 20% in 2006. This rate stagnated in the rural area, and has remained very low.

3.2 Gender Mainstreaming into the PRSP

A majority of Malian people are rural (31.7% live in urban areas against 68.7% in rural areas). This population structure is reflected in the geographical distribution of poverty. A poverty analysis has revealed that there is more poverty in the rural than in the urban setting, and that a significant disparity exists between the two (69.62% of the rural population is poor, against 17.60% in urban areas). In addition to this gap, poverty has increased in the rural setting. The level of poverty among the rural poor increased from 87.39% in 2001 to 91.76% in 2006.

By inference, since women constitute the majority of people living in rural areas, the number of poor women in these areas is higher than the number of poor men. And in fact the transformation in the economy has placed more responsibilities on rural women. Over and above her normal responsibilities accruing from the social division of labor, she is also expected to meet a large proportion of the costs of upkeep and running of the household (costs that were traditional born by the man). This overwork and added responsibilities contribute to making women poorer as these limit opportunities for promotion, and thus limit conditions for improving living conditions of her family in particular, and those of her community in general.

Despite the omnipresence of the term gender in every institutional debate (State, development Partners, Civil Society), recognition of the important contribution by women to the economic, social and cultural spheres, (recognition that is imposed by social and economic transformation brought about by globalization of the economy), the situation of women in Mali is still remains weighed down by tradition and customary practices.

Today, a beginning of social transformation is evident. But some of the planners and decision makers have not yet grasped the relevance of taking the gender dimension into account in policies, projects and programs in order to guarantee their success. Since the objective of macro-economic policies is currently poverty reduction, integration of gender into the policies is necessary, because the causes and implications of poverty are different in the different categories (men/women).

Mali is just appreciating the importance of gender mainstreaming and has not really effected any processes as yet.

3.3 Recommendations

It is therefore recommended that Mali effects the following actions:

--Adopt the gender approach as a strategic element to take into consideration in each development sector at all levels,

--Conduct a gender based review of the policies and programs in each sector and facilitate gender integration in the development policies, programs and projects by preparing budgets that promote gender equity,

--Conduct theme based studies that are crucial for better appreciation of the vulnerable situation of men and women : (i) social and economic situation of women that head households, (ii) budget lines for men and women in the forma land informal sectors, (iii) situation of men and women in rural areas, (iv) impact of exodus, migration and urbanization in correlation with poverty and HIV/AIDS on men and women;

--Initiate consultations and harmonization in PTF interventions on gender,

--Prepare a strategy on gender problems at the village level.