Economic Development:Women in Mountainous AreasSarosh SattarEconomic Management and Poverty Reduction DepartmentEurope and Central Asia RegionThe World BankMarch 2007

Outline Mountainous Countries in ECA What makes mountainous areas unique then? Policy choices

Do Mountainous Countries Stand Out?

Mountainous countries have less arable land area…

Arable land (% of land area)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Turk

menis

tan

Tajik

ista

n

Kyrg

yz R

epublic

Russia

n F

edera

tion

Kazakhsta

n

Slo

venia

Uzbekis

tan

Georg

ia

Esto

nia

Arm

enia

Bosnia

and H

erz

egovin

a

Alb

ania

Azerb

aija

n

Macedonia

, F

YR

Cro

atia

Bela

rus

Latv

ia

Bulg

aria

Serb

ia a

nd M

onte

negro

Czech R

epublic

Rom

ania

Pola

nd

Lithuania

Hungary

Ukra

ine

Mold

ova

…but the lower income ones are more dependent upon agriculture

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Tajikistan Kyrgyz Republic Georgia Armenia Bosnia andHerzegovina

Albania Slovenia

(in

perc

en

t)

Arable Land (% of total land) Agriculture Value Added (% of GDP)

Income status varies….Income per capita

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

Tajik

ista

n

Kyrg

yz R

epublic

Uzbekis

tan

Mold

ova

Azerb

aija

n

Georg

ia

Arm

enia

Ukra

ine

Bosnia

and H

erz

egovin

a

Alb

ania

Bela

rus

Macedonia

, F

YR

Kazakhsta

n

Serb

ia a

nd M

onte

negro

Bulg

aria

Rom

ania

Russia

n F

edera

tion

Latv

ia

Lithuania

Pola

nd

Slo

vak R

epublic

Cro

atia

Esto

nia

Hungary

Czech R

epublic

Slo

venia

in c

urr

en

t U

S$ (

Atl

as M

eth

od

)

…as do social indicatorsMaternal Mortality Rate in 2000

0

50

100

150

200

250

Slo

vak R

epublic

Cro

atia

Czech R

epublic

Serb

ia a

nd M

onte

negro

Lithuania

Pola

nd

Hungary

Slo

venia

Macedonia

, F

YR

Uzbekis

tan

Bosnia

and H

erz

egovin

a

Georg

ia

Bulg

aria

Ukra

ine

Bela

rus

Mold

ova

Latv

ia

Rom

ania

Arm

enia

Alb

ania

Esto

nia

Russia

n F

edera

tion

Azerb

aija

n

Tajik

ista

n

Kyrg

yz R

epublic

Kazakhsta

n

per

100,0

00 l

ive b

irth

s

Mountainous Communities

Poverty among women in mountainous areas is higher

Educational attainment for women is lower in mountainous areas

Incomes have fallen in mountainous areas while increasing elsewhere

Albania GIC 2002-2005 (Mountain) Albania GIC 2002-2005 (Non Mountainl)

-20

-10

010

20M

edia

n sp

line

0 20 40 60 80 100Percentiles

-10

-50

510

15

Media

n s

plin

e0 20 40 60 80 100

Percentiles

Policy Implications

What is going on? Most mountainous areas have fewer income

earning opportunities Services (health, education, infrastructure) are

expensive to deliver In some countries, migration of men out of

the mountainous areas is creating feminization of poverty there

Some policies to consider Minimum acceptable living standards could

be guaranteed by the Government thus, the poor – wherever they live could be given financial assistance

What about services? Should the government equalize public services

availability?

Or, should the government equalize the per capita expenditure across mountainous and non-mountainous areas?

This is a choice to be addressed by the government of each state or country.

Empowerment of women Important to have a multifaceted approach Women need access to

Skills and knowledge Assets (land and land titling) Credit and finance Product markets