Transport Connection in Northern Mountainous Provinces Project Gender Action and Ethnic Minority Development Plan Cao Bang Province

Transcription

1 Transport Connection in Northern Mountainous Provinces Project Gender Action and Ethnic Minority Development Plan Cao Bang Provincial People s Committee April 2011 (FINAL DRAFT)

2 ABBREVIATIONS ADB = Asian Development Bank CEM = Committee for Ethnic Minority DARD = Department of Agriculture and Rural Development DP = Displaced Person EM = Ethnic Minority GAEMDP Gender Action and Ethnic Minority Development Plan GOV = Government of Viet Nam HH = Household MOLISA = Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs NGO = Non-government Organization PDOT = Provincial Department of Transport PPA Participatory Poverty Assessment PPC = Provincial People s Committee PPMU = Provincial Project Management Unit Project = Transport Connection in Northern Mountainous Provinces Project WU = Women s Union YU = Youth s Union Revised, version2 Page i

3 TABLE of CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i 1. INTRODUCTION PROJECT DESCRIPTION SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROJECT AREA WOMEN IN THE COMMUNITIES ETHNIC MINORITY HOUSEHOLDS CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION PROJECT BENEFITS RESETTLEMENT IMPACTS AND SOCIAL RISKS HIV/AIDS HUMAN TRAFFICKING ROAD SAFETY BENEFICIAL AND MITIGATIVE MEASURES HIV/AIDS HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS CAMPAIGN & ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN EMPLOYMENT DURING CIVIL WORKS SAFETY MEASURES ALONG THE ROAD IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS PPMU Women s Union Committee for Ethnic Minorities (CEM) Youth Union Support from Project Coordination Consultants BUDGET GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. 12. MONITORING, REPORTING & EVALUATION SCHEDULE & MONITORING UPLOADING ON ADB WEBSITE LIST OF ANNEX Page NO TABLE OF FIGURES ENTRIES FOUND. LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1: Characteristics of Roads Affected... 1 Revised, version2 Page ii

4 Table 2 : Summary of Perceived Benefits and Adverse Effects of Road Project... 4 Table 3: Gender Action and Ethnic Minority Development Plan... 8 Table 4 : Summary of Budget for the Implementation of the GAEMDP for Table 5: Indicative Implementation Schedule Revised, version2 Page iii

5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Gender Action and Ethnic Minority Development Plan Project Background. The Transport Connections in Northern Mountainous Provinces Project will rehabilitate about 307 km of provincial and district roads in six provinces in the northern mountainous provinces of Viet Nam (Bac Kan, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Yen Bai, and Lao Cai). These provinces have high rates of poverty and ethnic minority populations. The road network consists predominantly of unpaved, narrow roads. Many sections are impassable during the rainy season. The travel time and cost from mountainous remote areas to social infrastructure will be reduced, and the economic activities along the roads will be enhanced. For, the Project will improve Road 202 with a total length of 30.2 km. The road will be upgraded to Class V with a carriageway of 3.5 meters (m) width and an embankment width of 6.5 m. Road 202 is located in a remote and mountainous area. Socio-Economic Information. The main primary source of income of most HH in the project area is agriculture and forestry (bamboo). The incidence of poverty in Cao Bang province in 2008 was 39.2% (new standard). Remote areas, especially those that become difficult to access by road during the rainy season, are particularly poor. This is the case for Road 202. By paving this road, the project will improve year-round all-weather access to markets, jobs, schools, and health centers. Women are involved mainly in agricultural activities in the Project area. They also sell their products to the local markets. With better roads, the markets will be easier to reach and trading opportunities for women will increase. Better roads will also bring more customers to the area, improving opportunities to expand women's small enterprises. Access to health center will also be improved. Access to health clinics is important for women. It means that they and their children are able to recover more quickly. There are nine ethnic minorities living in Cao Bang. The largest ethnic groups are the Tay (46%), Nung (32%), H'mong (8%), Dao (7%) and Lolo (1%). The Kinh represent only 5% of the population. In the project area, along Road 202, all the population belongs to an ethnic minority group: Dao (82%), Nung (17%) and Tay (2%). GAEMDP. This gender action and ethnic minority development plan (GAEMDP) has been prepared to maximize benefits to local populations and to ensure that women and ethnic minorities equally share the benefits. Enhanced connectivity can also have unintended consequences (e.g. increased risk of HIV/AIDS and human trafficking, increased road safety risks), and this plan includes provisions to mitigate against these risks. The GAEMDP will include four components, all of which have been designed to ensure as many beneficiaries as possible from the investments made. The four components are: HIV/AIDS and Human Trafficking Campaign; Road safety campaign and measures; Employment of local population during construction; Climate Change adaptation HIV/AIDS and Human Trafficking Campaign. An HIV/AIDS prevention and human trafficking awareness campaign and a road safety campaign will be conducted before and during construction along the project roads. WU at the provincial and commune levels will be responsible for the whole campaign organization (training of facilitators, materials). Training of facilitators will be conducted by women s unions and representatives of HIV/AIDs centres and communes in Road 202. Campaigns will be conducted at commune & village levels by 2 facilitators per village (village chief & 1 woman member of the WU). Campaigns will be conducted at village level and during market days, through distribution of leaflets, use of loud speakers, and presentation of plays. Construction-Setting Risk Mitigation Campaign. The contractors will have to prepare an awareness campaign plan to develop awareness, training, prevention, diagnosis and treatment programs for workers. This program will be under the contractor s budget. The Women s Union and village officials, together with the gender and ethnic minority specialists, will coordinate with, and monitor and report on the contractors HIV/AIDS programs and provide support by providing materials and carrying out campaign activities targeting workers. Revised, version2 Page iv

6 Road safety program. PPMU and mass organization will conduct campaign on traffic regulations and safety measures in communes/villages and schools to raise awareness of road safety during construction and operation. Training of facilitators will be undertaken together with the HIV/AIDS human trafficking campaign. As for HIV/AIDS and Human Trafficking Campaign, Campaigns will be conducted at commune & village levels by 2 facilitators per village (village chief & 1 woman member of the WU). Campaigns will be conducted at village level and during market days, through distribution of leaflets, use of loud speakers, and presentation of plays. The project design will also include safety measures for pedestrians such as: (i) speed bumps to slow traffic in villages and roadside settlements and at other strategic locations; (ii) lighting poles at strategic locations; and (iii) road safety signage (including pedestrian crossings). The location of these road safety facilities will be discussed with the WU and commune authorities during construction. Employment of local population during construction. Discussion with PPMU Cao Bang was held on March 21, 2011, to identify achievable targets for employment of local labor and women. After discussion, it was agreed to include specifications in bidding documents and civil works contracts that require, to the extent feasible, civil works and other contractors for the Project to hire a local labor force, specifically: 20% of the labor force (unskilled labourers) will come from local communities along the improved roads; Among these 20%, 50% will be women; and, Equal work for equal pay and no use of child labour. Discussion was also held with commune authorities to identify the process to hire local people. Contractors will submit to the commune authorities the number of people and the types of tasks needed. The local authorities, in collaboration with the WU, will inform the community and will ask interested people to give their names at the commune level. The list, 50% men and 50% women, will be given to the contractors. The PPMU, commune authorities and the WU will monitor whether the contractor meet the targets (i.e., agreed percentage of local labour and women; wages to be paid by the contractor). Climate change adaptation. 25% of PPMU staff attending adaptation seminars will be female. Consultation and Disclosure. Consultations with the key stakeholders have been carried out during the preparation of the GAEMP. A GAEMDP Information Booklet has been prepared. Copies will be placed in village offices, Office of the Women s Union and Committee for Ethnic Minorities, and in the market areas where bulletin boards are present before ADB Management Review Meeting or before ADB Follow-Up Mission. Implementation Arrangements. The Cao Bang PPCis the executing agency while the Provincial Project Management Unit is the implementing agency of the Project. PPMUs are staffed with counterpart personnel mostly seconded from the Provincial Department of Transport (PDOT). Currently PPMU staff are quite exclusively men. The PPMU is under the PDOT and is located in the PDOT building. There is a woman s group within PDOT, which can be consulted on gender issues. Among the PPMUs, Mr. To Vinh Hien has been appointed to work on resettlement and social issues including gender issues. Specific to activities mentioned in this GAEMDP, mass organizations such as Women s Union and Committee for Ethnic Minorities will lead in the planning and implementation of all GAEMDP. Representatives from other mass organizations such as Fatherland s Front, Youth Union, Farmer s Association will also be requested to participate in the planning and implementation of various GAEMDP activities. The Women s Union will be assisted by a team of international and national gender and ethnic minority development specialists from the Project Coordination Consultants. GAEMDP Budget, Implementation Schedule, and Monitoring. The ADB loan funds will be used for the GAEMDP activities (with the exception of the contractors own HIV/AIDS campaigns). The budget for the implementation of the GAEMDP is estimated at VND (16,416 USD). Loan funds will be used for GAEMDP and will be charged against the international PCC contract. Administration costs (such as transportation, Revised, version2 Page v

7 allowances for local authorities and facilitators, purchase or rental of speakers, dissemination of information leaflets) will be part of the provisional sum. The Project is expected to commence in January The GAEMDP activities will be carried out until completion of civil works construction. The PPMU and the Women s Union, assisted by the Project Coordination Consultants will develop gender- and ethnic- segregated indicators during inception and prepare quarterly progress reports and will be submitted to the PPC and ADB. Table ES: Indicative Implementation Schedule Main GAEMDP Plan Activities Preparation of Gender Action and Ethnic Minority Development Plan (GAEMDP) Implementation Schedule GAEMDP Preparation (consultation) Aug-Sep 2010, March 2011 GAEMDP submission to ADB for review and concurrence April-May 2011 Disclosure of GAEMDP Information Booklet May 2011 GAEMDP uploaded on ADB website May 2011 ADB Management Review Meeting Jun 2011 Loan effectiveness 30 December 2011 Implementation period / Pre-Construction Activities January 2012 June 2015 Recruitment of supervision consultant Second quarter 2012 Awareness campaign for HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, and road safety 3 rd and 4 th Qtr 2012-onwards Start of Civil Works Construction First quarter 2013 Supervision of employment of local workers HIV/AIDS campaign for contractors Continuously during construction period Continuously during construction period Awareness campaign for HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, and road safety Second and third quarters 2013 Monitoring Second quarter onwards Revised, version2 Page vi

8 1. INTRODUCTION Gender Action and Ethnic Minority Development Plan The Transport Connections in Northern Mountainous Provinces Project will rehabilitate about 307 km of provincial and district roads in six provinces in the northern mountainous provinces of Viet Nam (Bac Kan, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Yen Bai, and Lao Cai). These provinces have high rates of poverty and ethnic minority populations. The road network consists predominantly of unpaved, narrow roads. Many sections are impassable during the rainy season. The travel time and cost from mountainous remote areas to social infrastructure will be reduced, and the economic activities along the roads will be enhanced. A gender action and ethnic minority development plan (GAEMDP) has been prepared to maximize benefits to local populations and to ensure that women and ethnic minorities equally share the benefits. Enhanced connectivity can also have unintended consequences (e.g. increased risk of HIV/AIDS and human trafficking, increased road safety risks), and this plan includes provisions to mitigate against these risks. The socio-economic situation of the project area in general and households in particular is based on the following sources: Publications, socio-economic profile of households potentially affected by land acquisition; Information gathered during the public meetings held at the village level in August - September In early March 2011, two consultation meetings were again organized at the commune and village levels to Identify the expected direct benefits to the local communities; Determine how awareness campaigns should be conducted and by whom; Determine how the local communities could actively participate in the various GAEMDP activities Determine specific targets for the employment of local people and of women during construction; Identify persons in charge of social issues within PPMU; Information from these consultation meetings were derived from the following participants: Cao Bang PPMU staff, representatives of the Women s Union (WU) and the Committee for Ethnic Minorities (CEM) at the provincial level. Representatives of the Huy Giap commune s authorities, the local women s union, and representatives of the community were also met. 2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION For, the Project will improve Road 202 with a total length of 30.2 km. The road will be upgraded to Class V with a carriageway of 3.5 meters (m) width and an embankment width of 6.5 m. Due to lack of funds for regular maintenance and improvement, Road 202 that will be improved under the Project is damaged and degraded with narrow roadbeds and low class pavement structure. Some sections are impassable during the rainy season. Road 202 is located in a remote and mountainous area. The gain on travel time will be significant and economic activities will be enhanced. Table 1: Characteristics of Roads Affected Road District Communes Location/accessibility Socioeconomic situation Benefits expected Ca Thanh Yen Lap Provincial Road 202 Nguyen Binh Bao Lac Huy Giap Hung Dao - Paved road in very bad status located in remote and mountainous area; - Road 202 is a former section of National Road 34 which was rebuilt at another location; - High level of poverty; - 100% of the population from an EM (mainly Dao); - Harsh natural conditions for agriculture; - Forestry (bamboo) is an important source of income - Safer travel; - Reduction in travel distance; - Easier access to services (school, markets, health center) - Reduce transport costs - Economic enhancement at local level; Revised, version 2 Page 1

9 3. SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROJECT AREA Gender Action and Ethnic Minority Development Plan Main Source of Income. The main primary source of income of most HH in the project area is agriculture and forestry. Local Produce Found in the Area. Road 202 is located in Bao Lac and Nguyen Binh districts, two of the most mountainous and remote districts in Cao Bang Province. Households have little land for farming purposes. The local harsh natural conditions are suitable for temperate plants, raising cows, horses, goats and poultry; and maize as the main food crop. Bamboo is also an important product. It is the main income source for many people, particularly in poor and remote upland areas. Nguyen Binh District has the largest number of bamboo-growing households in the province and the highest percentage of bamboo-growing areas. Poverty. The national poverty line is established by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA). For the period from 2006 to 2010; the rural poverty line was VND 200,000/person/month while the urban poverty line was VND 260,000/person/month. The incidence of poverty in Cao Bang province in 2008 was 39.2% (new standard). In Huy Giap Commune (along Road 202), among the 466 HH in the commune, 172 (37%) are identified as poor. Remote areas, especially those that become difficult to access by road during the rainy season, are particularly poor. This is the case along road 202. Transport takes a lot of time and physical effort in rural areas. Paved roads and enhanced connectivity are vital for local economic development and poverty reduction. By paving this road, the project will improve year-round all-weather access to markets, jobs, schools, and health centers. Bamboo production plays an important role in reducing poverty in bamboo-growing communes. Growers produce bamboo for cash to supplement family income and for food security. In the provincial strategy for poverty reduction, the expansion of bamboo production was considered a strategy for the mountainous areas of Nguyen Binh, Bao Lac, Thong Nong and Hoa An districts. Luxembourg has targeted for development support through the Developing Business with the Rural Poor Programme (DBRP). The Project consists of the following components: (1) Improving the Business and Investment Environment, (2) Rural Business Development Services, (3) Expanding Market Access for the Rural Poor, (4) Programme Management, (5) Programme Quality. The improved road will enhance the benefits of this program. 4. WOMEN IN THE COMMUNITIES Labor. Women are involved mainly in agricultural activities in the Project area. They also sell their products to the local markets. Their position has been improved though slowly; they now have better knowledge of the economy, society and culture; the quality of life (health, clothing, accommodation, transportation and cultural needs) has improved; the birth rate has declined. A very low percentage of women have a position in the government apparatus. In all the communes visited, there were no women, other than heads of WU, acting as commune or village leaders. Education. All the communes along the Project s roads have a primary school and some have a lower secondary school. All children, boys and girls, go to school. For upper secondary school, students have to go to the district town. However, the enrolment rates for upper secondary education in high/remote areas (like Road 202) remain low compared to other districts especially for girls. To continue after lower secondary, students along Road 202 go to the district towns, Bao Lac and Nguyen Binh, up to 25 km away on difficult roads from the villages along Road 202. They go to boarding school and stay all week in Bao Lac or Nguyen Binh. With improved roads, girls will have a better chance of attending secondary school. Involvement in groups. Women (particularly the Tay and Dao women) have started to take part more actively in community activities such as village meetings. The Women s Union is considered an active mass organization at the grassroots level. However, lots of old practices/traditions still prevail and hinder women s advancement (men still want to be the main participants in social engagements leaving the women to work long hours on agricultural production and housework). Markets. The main markets are located along the new Road 34 (Road 202 is the former Road 34, but a new section of the road was built at another location). For example, the commune center of Huy Giap is located on the new section of Road 34 where the market is located. Therefore, villagers along Road 202 have to travel long distances to go to the markets. Men and women usually go together to the market on a motorbike to sell and buy their agricultural products. Revised, version 2 Page 2

10 Better roads will also bring more customers to the area, improving opportunities to expand women's small enterprises. Market places are an important source of information for the community. Information flow is mainly via commune and village officials, neighbours and also via market places. Health. Access to health clinics is important for women. It means that they and their children are able to recover more quickly. For women, this is especially important, not only because women and children tend to fall ill more often but also because they do not have to stay home so long to tend to their sick children. Just like the markets, the health centers are located in commune centers, which are located mainly along the new section of Road 34. The upgrading of Road 202 will greatly improve access to health centers. 5. ETHNIC MINORITY HOUSEHOLDS There are nine ethnic minorities living in Cao Bang. The largest ethnic groups are the Tay (46%), Nung (32%), H'mong (8%), Dao (7%) and Lolo (1%). The Kinh represent only 5% of the population. In the project area, along Road 202, all the population belongs to an ethnic minority group: Dao (82%), Nung (17%) and Tay (2%). Source of Income. Ethnic minorities stand out as particularly disadvantaged in Viet Nam s economic context. They tend to be less educated, more likely to suffer from malnutrition, are almost twice as likely to work self-employed in agriculture and are half as likely to be wage earners. In the project area, ethnic minority groups are almost all involved in agricultural and forestry production. They grow maize as their main food crop and raise cows, goats and pigs. Bamboo is often the main income source for many ethnic minority households. Few ethnic minority members are involved in other activities (services, government, etc.). Regarding income, HHs along Road 202 have much lower incomes than the average in : 1.5 million VND and 2.6 million per month, respectively. Among EMs, there is no significant difference regarding incomes. Education. In general, ethnic minority groups have a lower level of education than the Kinh. In the project area, all the children from ethnic minority groups go to primary and lower secondary schools generally located at the commune level. Ethnic minority people use their own languages in daily communication, but the majority of them (mostly young people) can understand and speak Vietnamese. An NGO, ADRA is implementing a project 1 to promote and improve the overall social status of ethnic minority women in through awareness raising and educational activities. To this end, the project also strengthens the capacity of the Cao Bang Provincial Women's Union and its branches in Ha Quang, Bao Lac and Bao Lam districts to implement community awareness and education programs. provides education services (free education plus support for textbooks, etc.) to ethnic minority people and people living in remote/difficult areas. 6. CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION During project preparation (in August-September 2010, March 2011) public consultation were conducted. Affected households from EM groups and representative of CEM attended to these meetings together with local authorities, affected HH and representatives of various mass organizations (Women s Union, Youth Union etc.). During these public meetings, Ethnic Minority People (EMP) were asked to respond on some specific issues and concerns among their communities. The following table summarized the concerns of the affected HH. EMP and Kinh share the same concerns in the project area. These concerns have been taking into account, in the GAEMDP, for the preparation of beneficial and mitigative measures. Affected households see much more benefits than adverse effects of the proposed Project. The road improvement will improve greatly transportation and economic activities. All persons met want the project to start as soon as possible. 1 ADRA Australia ( ) Literacy Class Empowers Ethnic Minority Women (LICEEM) in. Revised, version 2 Page 3

11 Table 2 : Summary of Perceived Benefits and Adverse Effects of Road Project Benefits 1. Improved roads will provide safer traffic condition for local people. 2. People will have better access to schools by making roads easier to navigate specially during rainy season. Easier and safer for children to go to school. 3. Better transportation contributes in promoting product exchanges and trading activities and facilitates the movement of products from source to markets. 4. Improved roads and transportation will help improve the standard of living of local people. 5. The people within the project area can earn additional income from jobs in construction work and for providing lodging and food to Contractors and construction workers coming from outside. Adverse Effects 1. Number of traffic accidents may increase. 2. Number of social evils may increase. Improved roads will provide easier access for outsiders who may bring with them vices such as drug addiction and prostitution, trafficking of women and children and spread of communicable diseases. 3. Disruption in daily living of people during construction period like their mobility in going to school and market. 4. Households who will be directly affected in terms of their houses and livelihood are concerned that they will not be paid on time nor given assistance for repairing their houses or relocating. 7. PROJECT BENEFITS As mentioned in the table above, improved connectivity can bring great benefits to the local population. Access to markets and transport services increases, travel becomes faster and more convenient, and children can safely travel further from home. The quality of rural health, education and other services improves with better accessibility. Because ethnic minorities account for 100% of the population in the project area, and women play an important role in the local economy, the Project s benefits will directly help ethnic minorities and women. 8. RESETTLEMENT IMPACTS AND SOCIAL RISKS Impacts on women and EMH specific to resettlement are not significant. Resettlement impacts are not different than the Kinh in the project area. A stand-alone Resettlement Plan has been prepared for Cao Bang province. About 77 households will be affected by land acquisition. No main structure will be affected and there is no case of relocation. No households will lose 10% or more of their total productive assets and there will not be any acquisition of common property resources. Access to properties and economic opportunities will not be restricted during project construction and operation. In terms of social risks, the following associated social risks in the improvement of project roads have been identified: HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, and road safety. 8.1 HIV/AIDS General. The HIV epidemic in Vietnam is still in a concentrated stage, with the highest HIV prevalence found in male injecting drug users (18.4%), female sex workers (3.2%) and men who have sex with men (16.7%). The HIV epidemic may have begun to stabilize, as reflected by stable trends in HIV prevalence among injecting drug users and female sex workers in many places. In other places, these trends are increasing such as in the northwest of the country. HIV prevalence among women attending antenatal clinics and among male military recruits has begun decreasing and continues to be observed at low levels, 0.3% and 0.15%, respectively. People aged years account for more than 80% of all reported cases and the proportion of people living with HIV aged is showing signs of increasing. Men accounted for 73.2% of all reported cases in HIV cases have been reported nationwide in all 63 provinces/cities, 97.5% of districts, and 70.5% of wards/communes. As of 31 December 2009, there were 160,019 reported HIV cases and 44,050 deaths due to AIDS-related illnesses. 2 According to the Viet Nam HIV/AIDS Estimates and Projections , adult HIV prevalence (aged 15-49) was 0.44% in National Committee for AIDS, Drugs, and Prostitution Prevention and Control The Fourth Country Report on Following up the Implementation to the Declaration of Commitment on HIV and AIDS. Hanoi. 3 Ministry of Health Viet Nam HIV/AIDS Estimates and Projections: Hanoi. Revised, version 2 Page 4

12 . Cao Bang shares a 311 km-long borderline with China (Guanxi Province). It has a national border gate in Quang Hoa District and local border gates at Hung Quoc in Tra Linh and Soc Giang in Ha Quang, which facilitates trading with China. Cao Bang had 856 HIV/AIDS cases on December 31 st, ranks 8 th in the whole country for the number of HIV/AIDS infected patients. Project Areas. In the commune visited (Huy Giap), there are no known cases of HIV/AIDS according to the commune authorities. Opening remote areas, especially Road 202, could increase the spread of HIV/AIDS, both during construction, and with a greater influx of outsiders once the road is complete. The Women s Union, in collaboration with health centers, conducts regular awareness campaigns on HIV/AIDS at the commune and village level. In all the communes visited, these campaigns were being conducted. 8.2 HUMAN TRAFFICKING General. Viet Nam is a source and destination country for human trafficking. Vietnamese men, women, and girls are trafficked for commercial sexual and labor exploitation in Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the Czech Republic. Women and men are trafficked for forced labor in brothels, factories, construction projects, ships, and to work as domestic servants. Vietnamese women are also recruited through fraudulent marriages. Between , there were around 25,000 marriages by Vietnamese women to Korean men, and 24,600 to Taiwanese men from 2003 to In 2008, the Vietnamese Government estimated that approximately 10% of the arranged marriages with Chinese men become trafficking cases. Women are often recruited through licensed and unlicensed migrant labor recruiting agencies. In response, the government tightened the requirements for foreign marriages, making marriage brokerage illegal. From , as many as 900 human trafficking cases involving 1,600 traffickers and 2,200 smuggled women and children were detected. 5 There are many causes for human trafficking in Vietnam. The UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking argues that many of the causes are socio-economic, such as difficulty finding employment in rural and remote areas, lack of awareness, and low education level. The National Action Plan Against the Trafficking of Women and Children from places the Viet Nam Women s Union in charge of promoting public education while the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) focuses on assisting victims and repatriation and reintegration. A study conducted under ADB regional technical assistance (TA) 6 found that construction of a new road, located in the far northeast of Cambodia with borders on Lao and Viet Nam, had more impact in encouraging migration for ethnic minorities than in facilitating access to social facilities and services. As such, for many of these ethnic minorities, the new roads that lead into their provinces also offer a way out of hardship and poverty and into prosperity, through migration. According to this study, migration, when unregulated, especially for people with limited education, skills, and information, can lead to human trafficking and other forms of exploitation. Ethnic minorities are particularly at risk. Women from the ethnic minority villages in the Northern region in particular became sexual victims, with several percent ending up in Laos. In China, most became victims of the sex industry or are forced labour in rural areas (through forced marriages to farmers).. borders the People s Republic of China to the north, with a 311 km long border line. Therefore, the risk of human trafficking with China is already high and will increase with the improvement of the road network. The problems of child abduction and human trafficking have increased in the Northern region. Project Area. Road 202 is located partially in Bao Lac District which has a border and access road to China. Therefore, the risk of human trafficking is high. In Huy Giap Commune, there were no known cases of human trafficking. 4 World Vision. GMS Human Trafficking: A Changing Landscape. Available online: 5 Human Trafficking Crackdown in Viet Nam. 7 January Available at /768 6 ADB Technical Assistance for Preventing the Trafficking of Women and Children and Promoting Safe Migration in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Manila. (RETA 6190) Revised, version 2 Page 5

13 The Women s Union conducts regular awareness campaigns on human trafficking at the commune level. In all the communes visited, such campaigns were being conducted. 8.3 ROAD SAFETY Pedestrians and motorcyclists are the most vulnerable road users and account for the majority of traffic deaths in Vietnam. With the improvement of road 202 and the anticipated increase in traffic (cars and trucks) and speed, there may be increased road accidents. This safety issue will affect all road users and, in particular, women who often travel to and from their fields. It will also affect students going to school. Road safety issues were also identified as a concern by women during public meetings conducted in A safety transportation board has been established within DOT. This board is in charge of awareness safety campaigns in the province. The WU at the provincial level is a member of this board. Road safety campaigns are already being conducted in, at the commune level, by the Women s Union. The WU conduct their campaigns on market days. Usually markets take place once a week in the affected communes. The day of the market varies from one commune to another. The WU conducts various awareness campaigns every month at the commune level. The WU uses different means to inform the community and women in particular. They distribute leaflets and use loud speakers. Some plays with actors on specific subjects can also be organized. 9. BENEFICIAL AND MITIGATIVE MEASURES Based on the above analysis, the proposed GAEMDP will include four components, all of which have been designed to ensure as many beneficiaries as possible from the investments made. The four components are: HIV/AIDS and Human Trafficking Campaign; Road safety campaign and road safety design measures; Employment of local population during construction.; Climate change adaptation Specific to resettlement impacts, as mentioned above, a separate Resettlement Plan has been prepared. It includes specific actions for women and ethnic minorities such as: ethnic minority households (EMH) are covered by customary rights, separate meetings with women and EMH during RP updating and implementation will be carried out, and special assistance will be provided to women and EMH based on their needs. Key information in the Resettlement Plan will be disclosed to the affected households through distribution of copies of information leaflets in Vietnamese language during market days in the communes prior to submission to the ADB for review and concurrence. A GAEMDP Information Booklet has been prepared as shown in Annex 1. Copies will be placed in village offices, Office of the Women s Union and Committee for Ethnic Minorities, and in the market areas where bulletin boards are present before ADB Management Review Meeting or before ADB Follow-Up Mission. 9.1 HIV/AIDS HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS CAMPAIGN & ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN An HIV/AIDS prevention and human trafficking awareness campaign and a road safety campaign will be conducted before and during construction along the project road. To facilitate the organization both campaign will be conducted at the same time. There are currently HIV/AIDS and human trafficking prevention and road safety activities implemented in all the communes by the Women s Union and health centers. The proposed campaigns took experience from the existing activities conducted in Organization 3-day training course at subproject level - A 3-day training course will be undertaken in one commune along Road 202; Revised, version 2 Page 6

14 - During the 3-day training course, the Women s Union at the provincial level, along with HIV/AIDS centre members, will train community members. - Each commune affected by the project road will send the following representatives to the 3-day training course: - Women s Union chairwoman and vice chairwoman; - Commune PPC Member in Charge of Safety Issues; - Commune Youth Union Leader; - Commune health care centre ; - A teacher from primary school and a teacher from basic secondary school. - This training course will focus on the main topics and materials to be used. - The WU will give each representative the necessary training materials; 3-day training course at commune level - After the training course at the subproject level, the representatives of each commune that participated in the first training course will become trainers in their respective commune, - Each village in each commune affected by the project road will send the following representatives to the 3- day training course: - Village Women s Union Chairwoman; - Village Leader. - These representatives will become the 2 facilitators at the village level (at least 50% should be women); Dissemination of information - The two facilitators in each village will have 2 weekly meetings with villagers to disseminate information on HIV/ AIDS, human trafficking and road safety; - In mountainous areas, if the houses are scattered, the facilitators will go to each house to disseminate information every 2 weeks; - When necessary, the facilitators will translate the information in other languages; - Twice a month, during market days in each commune, information will be disseminated. Plays will also be organized. - Trained teachers will provide information in their respective primary and basic secondary schools. Timing and Material Training materials will come from the provincial and district level (WU and Health Centres) and from the Provincial Department of Transport (PDOT). The gender and ethnic minority specialists, under the Project Coordination consultants, will review the existing material and supplement it if necessary. For HIV/AIDS and Human Trafficking, the supplement will be based on the existing materials developed for the following ADB projects: TA-6467 (REG) and RETA : HIV Prevention and Infrastructure: Mitigating Risk in the GMS. All the written information will be in Vietnamese. However, at least one facilitator will be able to verbally translate the information to those who don t understand Vietnamese. The organization of this awareness campaign has been discussed with the WU, at the provincial and commune level, and with representatives of other stakeholders (PPMU, CEM, commune authorities). All the stakeholders met agreed with the proposed organization. It should be noted that an awareness campaign will also be conducted by contractors specifically for their workers. The contractors will have to prepare an awareness campaign plan to develop awareness, training, prevention, diagnosis and treatment programs for workers. This program will be under the contractor s budget. The Women s Union and village officials, together with the gender and ethnic minority specialists, will coordinate with, and monitor and report on 7 ADB Regional Technical Assistance Report for HIV Prevention and Infrastructure Mitigating Risk in the Greater Mekong Subregion (RETA 6467). Revised, version 2 Page 7

15 the contractors HIV/AIDS programs and provide support by providing materials and carrying out campaign activities targeting workers. 9.2 EMPLOYMENT DURING CIVIL WORKS Civil works for road improvements will require local labourers for land clearance, earthworks and other activities. Greater gender equality in labor-based road construction and maintenance will provide significant social benefits to participating households and communities. According to local authorities met, women are already involved in maintenance road work. The activities conducted by women are mainly clearing drainage ditches and culverts and spreading crushed stones on the road. Women can also maintain embankments and plant and care for trees and other plants that protect against erosion. As per the Labour Code, all employment for civil works will have to respect GOV commitments to gender equity and promotion of ethnic minorities, including: Employment targets for women and ethnic minorities; No discrimination against the employment of qualified women and ethnic minorities; and, No differential wages paid to men and women for work of equal value. Discussion with PPMU Cao Bang was held on March 21, 2011, to identify achievable targets for employment of local labor and women. After discussion, it was agreed to include specifications in bidding documents and civil works contracts that require, to the extent feasible, civil works and other contractors for the Project to hire a local labor force, specifically: 20% of the labor force (unskilled labourers) will come from local communities along the improved roads; Among these 20%, 50% will be women; and, Equal work for equal pay and no use of child labour. Discussion was also held with commune authorities to identify the process to hire local people. Contractors will submit to the commune authorities the number of people and the types of tasks needed. The local authorities, in collaboration with the WU, will inform the community and will ask interested people to give their names at the commune level. The list, 50% men and 50% women, will be given to the contractors. The PPMU, commune authorities and the WU will monitor whether the contractor meet the targets (i.e., agreed percentage of local labour and women; wages to be paid by the contractor). During meetings at the commune level, participants asked whether the contractors would pay the laborers daily or weekly. Information on local employment will be included in the monitoring reports. It is worth mentioning that hiring local laborers may be difficult during the planting and harvesting season. 9.3 SAFETY MEASURES ALONG THE ROAD The project design will include safety measures for pedestrians such as: (i) speed bumps to slow traffic in villages and roadside settlements and at other strategic locations; (ii) lighting poles at strategic locations; and (iii) road safety signage (including pedestrian crossings). The location of these road safety facilities will be discussed with the WU and commune authorities during construction. 9.4 CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION Climate change adaptation seminars will be conducted during the Project. Of the total number of participants, 25% of them will be female. Table 3 summarizes the content of the GAEMDP. Table 3: Gender Action and Ethnic Minority Development Plan Project outputs Activities and Indicators Responsibilities Time frame Revised, version 2 Page 8

16 Output 1: Project roads are rehabilitated Output 2: PDOT s capacity on climate change adaptation and flexible application of road classification is enhanced Output 3: Awareness of potential social problems is enhanced among vulnerable people, especially women and ethnic minorities -Contractors will prioritize the use of local unskilled labour (through subcontracting); at least 30% of the labour force will be local unskilled labor; -Among the 30% of local labour, at least 50% of unskilled labourers will be female; -Male and female unskilled workers will receive equal pay for equal work; - Contractors will not employ child labour on civil works contracts; - Persons interested will write their names at village level; commune authorities and village chiefs will provide names to the contractors; priority will be given to members of the poorest households -Separate male/female latrines / basic facilities will be provided in the construction sites. - 25% of the PPMU staff attending adaptation training seminars will be female HIV/AIDS and Human Trafficking Campaign Community-Based Risk Mitigation Campaign - The risk mitigation information will be delivered to project-affected communes and villages using a participatory approach with a special focus on the poor, vulnerable households (e.g. ethnic minority groups, households headed by women, and families with disabled and elderly members, and out-of-school youth). - Materials will be gender-responsive and culturally- and linguisticallyappropriate; in particular it should be translated/adapted into various ethnic minority languages (Dao, Hmong Tay) where necessary; - Training of facilitators will be conducted by women s unions and representatives of HIV/AIDs centres and communes in Road 202; - Campaigns will be conducted at commune & village levels by 2 facilitators per village ( village chief & 1 woman member of the WU) Gender Action and Ethnic Minority Development Plan - PPMU/Project Coordination Consultant will be responsible to ensure this clause is included in the contract; - Commune authorities will submit to the contractors the list of interested people; - Women s Union and Commune authorities will be responsible for ensuring that employment targets are met. - - During construction - PPMU staff - During implementation - WU at the provincial and commune levels will be responsible for the whole campaign organization (training of facilitators, materials development) in collaboration with district and commune health centres. - WU at the village level will be responsible for the dissemination of information - Commune/district health centres will assist WU at commune level - Project Coordination Consultant will include international and national gender and ethnic minority specialists - The gender and EM specialists from the Project Coordination Consultants will review the existing materials and, if necessary, supplement the existing materials from the TA (REG) and RETA 6467 : HIV Prevention and Infrastructure: Mitigating Risk in the GMS; - - Monthly, before and during construction Revised, version 2 Page 9

17 - Campaigns will be conducted at village level and during market days, through distribution of leaflets, use of loud speakers, and presentation of plays; Construction-Setting Risk Mitigation Campaign - PPMU and Contractor will work closely with health services at the district and commune levels to develop awareness, training, prevention, diagnosis and treatment programs for workers. - All programs and materials developed will integrate gender issues, including key vulnerabilities and needs of men and women. - In particular contractor will: - Develop awareness programs for the employees and the community including information, education and communication activities that address HIV transmission and promote preventive measures; - Provide voluntary counselling and encourage testing for HIV/AIDS to make sure that all employees know their status; - Facilitate access to health care and be supportive of people who have disclosed their HIV status; - Provide basic medical care and facilities (free condoms) at workers camps; Community-based road safety campaign - PPMU and mass organization will conduct campaign on traffic regulations and safety measures in communes/villages and schools to raise awareness of road safety during construction and operation; - Training of facilitators will be undertaken together with the HIV/AIDS human trafficking campaign; - Facilitators will adapt materials which are gender sensitive and EM languages when necessary; - Training of facilitators will be conducted by women s union and representatives of PDOT in the project areas; - Campaign will be conducted twice in each village and during market - Contractors - Local health centers - Commune authorities - Women s union will carry out overall coordination to create greater synergy on HIV focused activities. - The Cao Bang Project Management Unit (PPMU will be responsible for the budget allocation; - WU at the provincial level will be responsible for the whole campaign organization (training of facilitators, materials); - WU at the commune level will carry out the dissemination of information; - The gender and ethnic minority specialists from the Project Coordination Consultants will review the proposed materials and, if necessary, supplement them; - - During construction - Monthly, during construction Revised, version 2 Page 10

18 Project Management days, through distribution of leaflets and loud speaker; - Campaign will also be conducted in schools by teachers who attended the training courses; - Campaign will be conducted at commune and village level by 2 facilitators per village (1 man, village chief & 1 woman member of the WU) Road safety measures - Road hazards will be identified and removed. - Road and traffic signs and road safety warnings will be installed in strategic locations along the whole length of the road; - Pedestrians crossings will be installed where necessary; - For the safety of children and pedestrians, light poles and speed bumps will be installed at requested locations; - WU and local communities will be consulted for the location of safety facilities; Gender and development briefing and training will be provided to PPMU staff, local organizations and contractors. All capacity development activities will nclude targets for female and EM participation. - The Cao Bang Project Management Unit (PPMU); - Project Coordination Consultants - Project Coordination Consultants - -PPMU - During detailed design and project implementation During design and initial implementation 10. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS 10.1 PPMU The Cao Bang PPCis the executing agency while the Provincial Project Management Unit is the implementating agency of the Project. The PPMU is staffed with counterpart personnel mostly seconded from the Provincial Department of Transport (PDOT). Currently PPMU staff are quite exclusively men. The PPMU is under the PDOT and is located in the PDOT building. There is a woman s group within PDOT, which can be consulted on gender issues. Among the PPMUs, Mr. To Vinh Hien has been appointed to work on resettlement and social issues including gender issues. Specific to activities mentioned in this GAEMDP, mass organizations such as Women s Union and Committee for Ethnic Minorities will lead in the planning and implementation of all GAEMDP. Representatives from other mass organizations such as Fatherland s Front, Youth Union, Farmer s Association will also be requested to participate in the planning and implementation of various GAEMDP activities. The Women s Union will be assisted by a team of international and national gender and ethnic minority development specialists from the Project Coordination Consultants Women s Union Viet Nam s Women s Union is a mass organization uniting women in the country. It has millions of members, and has branches in all communes and districts. At the local level, the Women s Union members and leaders are active in a wide range of development activities. The Women s Union organizes health and communication campaigns in Revised, version 2 Page 11