As described in Section 2, in the past, infrastructure projects typically did not take a systematic approach to gender equality. Today, however, gender considerations are increasingly integrated into infrastructure projects and programs, with a stronger focus on the connection between analysis, action, monitoring and evaluation. A shift has also occurred regarding the type of gender interventions included in infrastructure projects. No longer is the gender focus in infrastructure projects on risk mitigation. Increasingly, projects not only reduce risks to women, but also include women as community members, employees, entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and infrastructure users. They focus, for example, on providing equal access to infrastructure services for women; equipping local women with skills; experience and tools to participate in decision-making and governance; taking measures to increase jobs for women with equal pay and in a non-discriminatory environment created by the project; integrating women-owned SMEs in supply chains of projects; and contributing towards ending sexual harassment and gender-based violence.
The private sector plays an important part in this development. As cases such as the Vanuatu Aviation project (Box 11) and the Nam Theun 2 Hydropower project (Boxes 6 and 10) show, private companies can become part of the solution towards more gender-sensitive projects. In addition, private-sector players are increasingly partnering in international initiatives that identify best practices and practical approaches that companies can implement to improve women's inclusion in governance and the economy-not only because it is the right thing to do, but also because it makes business sense. As a growing body of research covering developed and emerging economies shows, mitigating risks for women; paying attention to their needs as users of infrastructure services; investing in them as entrepreneurs, employees, and managers so they can realize their full economic potential; and increasing local women's engagement in projects can lead to increased firm productivity and help private companies innovate, grow, and perform better.45
At the same time, this area is still evolving. There is not always evidence available to showcase that certain interventions lead to more gender-equal results or reflect smart economics. Uncertainty persists on identifying best approaches in specific situations. To drive the gender agenda forward and build on this understanding regarding PPP projects, it is important to engage teams and their counterparts using promising approaches and good practices in different contexts.
Against this background, PPPs have a lot of potential to advance the development of infrastructure projects that reduce poverty, while promoting gender equality and women's empowerment in the long term.
Although there are many variations among PPPs, they typically share common features that allow for the coherent integration of gender considerations across different stages of the project life cycle. They include mechanisms that make gender equality goals enforceable and are conducive to establishing strong, long-term partnerships, not only between the public and private sectors, but also with the women and men of local communities, NGOs and civil society.
Common features of PPPs relevant to gender-sensitive projects include:
• Long-term partnerships between public and private sectors;
• Long-term contracts to build and/or operate infrastructure projects;
• Remuneration linked to performance;
• Performance monitoring based on output-based performance indicators;
• Remuneration based on government payments, regulated user fees, or a mix of both;
• Private partners bearing significant risks and management responsibilities;
• Life-cycle approaches that increase efficiency and may lead to the most economical solutions;
• Funding from international financial institutions or private financial institutions that have adopted social sustainability standards, or the Equator Principles for managing environmental and social risks; and
• A strong legal and institutional PPP framework.
Table 2: Potential Ways Unique Features of PPP Could Contribute to Gender Equality
Feature of PPP | Potential ways it could Contribute to Gender Equality |
Long-term contracts between public and private sectors | The long-term and often large-scale nature of the partnership could provide opportunities through sub-contracts to develop the local private sector, including women-owned businesses. |
Remuneration linked to performance | PPP contract could include bonuses or penalties to provide strong incentive and accountability for the private sector partner to achieve gender-related performance goals. |
Performance monitoring | Both output based and process indicators used to monitor performance could reflect gender equality related goals. (e.g., process to preventing GBV or sexual harassment is in place; bus stops will have lights and cameras operating 24/7) |
Private partners bearing significant risks and management responsibilities | The PPP contract could stipulate that the private partner bears the risks associated with any of the project's gender equality related goals, see Box 6 on Nam Theun 2 for example. |
Life-cycle approaches that increase efficiency and may lead to the most economical solutions | Achieving this efficiency requires feedback from consumers and the local community to understand the whole of the project context and local practices. Gender equality will be critical to this flow of data and feedback from the community. |
A strong legal and institutional PPP framework | Often for a PPP project to be successful it needs to be enabled by a strong legal and institutional framework. There are opportunities to include gender equality aims in this legal and institutional framework. |
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45 World Bank Group Gender Strategy (FY16-23), Gender Equality, Poverty Reduction and Inclusive Growth, World Bank Group, 2016.