List of Acronyms BWDB Bangladesh Water Development Board BIWTA Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority COC Code of Conduct ESMP Environmental and Social Management Plan ESMF Environmental and Social Management Framework GBV Gender Based Violence GRM Grievance Redressed Mechanism GoB Government of Bangladesh GPN Good Practice Note IC Inquiry/Investigation Committee M&E Monitoring & Evaluation MWCA Ministry of Women and Children Affair OCC One-stop Crisis Centre OCC One-stop Crisis Cell PD Project Director PIU Project Implementation Unit SEA Sexual Exploitation and Abuse SH Sexual Harassment VAWG Violence Against Women and Girls Table of Contents Executive Summary ...............................................................................................................................5 Chapter 1 Project........................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 Project Background and Description ......................................................................................................... 7 1.2 Project Objectives and Components (SOP-Project 1) .......................................................................... 7 1.3 Study Area and Project Area of Influence................................................................................................. 9 Chapter 2 Socio-economic Profiles of the Project Sites ................................................................................. 9 2.1 General Description of the Project Area of Influence .......................................................................... 9 2.2 Community Mobilization, Construction and workforce ..................................................................... 9 PART B: GENDER ACTION PLAN ..................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 3 Gender Analysis ...................................................................................................................................... 10 3.1 Country Context ................................................................................................................................................ 10 3.2 Institutional Context ....................................................................................................................................... 10 3.3 Project Context .................................................................................................................................................. 11 Chapter 4 Gender Action Plan – Issues and Opportunities ........................................................................ 12 4.1 Gendered Impacts of the Project ................................................................................................................ 12 4.2 Gender Action Plan .......................................................................................................................................... 13 4.3 Cost and Budget ................................................................................................................................................ 17 PART C: SEA/SH RESPONSE AND MITIGATION PLAN ............................................................. 17 Chapter 5 The Context and Risk Assessment .................................................................................................. 17 5.1 Gender Based Violence (GBV): An Overview ........................................................................................ 17 5.2 SEA/SH Risk and Impact Assessment ...................................................................................................... 17 5.3 Institutional Capacity...................................................................................................................................... 18 5.4 Guiding Principles of SEA/SH and GBV in JRECDP-1 ......................................................................... 19 Chapter 6 SEA/SH Risk Mitigation Action Plan .............................................................................................. 19 6.1 GRM to Address SEA/SH Complaints ........................................................................................................... i 6.2 Cost and Budget .................................................................................................................................................... i Annex: 1 Assessment of Gender and Gender based Violence ................................................ ii Annex 2: Legal and Institutional Environment for Safety of Women and Girls ............. xi Annex 3: Objectives and Methodology of Gender and SEASH Risk Assessment ........... xii Annex 4: A Preliminary Mapping of the Service Providers ................................................. xvi Annex 5: Project Grievance Mechanism to Address SEASH Complaints ........................ xvii Annex 6: SEASH Procedures and Response Protocol ......................................................... xviii Annex 7: Code of Conduct (COC) to Prevent the SEA/SHA related risks ......................... xix List of tables Table 1 Table 4.1 Gender Action Plan ........................................................................................................................... 14 Table 6.1 Recommended SEA/SH Action Plan .......................................................................................................... 20 Table 6.2 Cost and Budget for SEA/SH Action Plan – Phase 1 ................................................................................ i List of Annex Table Table 1 Health Care Facilities related to Pregnancy ....................................................................................................................... iii Table 2 Empowerment of men and women in 2017 ........................................................................................................................v Table 3 Cases of Reported Violence Against Women and Children by Categories 2012- 2017 ....................................v Table 4 Percentage of marital status ..................................................................................................................................................... vi Table 5 Percentage of gender segregated employment status .................................................................................................. vi Table 6 Percentage of gender segregated employed people ..................................................................................................... vii Table 7 Site-specific gender segregated daily wage rate in BDT ............................................................................................. vii Table 8 Site specific gender segregated enrolment by age group ......................................................................................... viii Table 9 Interviews (FGDs/KIIs) held during the field surveys ................................................................................................. xii Table 10 Definition of the magnitude classes and parameters................................................................................................. xii Table 11 Scoring criteria for magnitude assessment ...................................................................................................................xiii Table 12 Definitions of the sensitivity classes ................................................................................................................................ xiv Table 13 Cross-tabular matrix for assessing significance of an impact ............................................................................... xiv Table 14 SEASH Risks.................................................................................................................................................................................. xv List of Annex figures Figure 1 Population pyramid ..................................................................................................................................................................... ii Figure 2 Distribution of household by sex of household head.................................................................................................... ii Figure 3 Delivery related Health Care Scenario ............................................................................................................................... iii Figure 4 Available labor force by sex .................................................................................................................................................... iv Figure 5 Gender segregated daily average wage rate ................................................................................................................... vii Figure 6 Gender segregated literary rate ......................................................................................................................................... viii Figure 7 Gender segregated enrolment............................................................................................................................................. viii Figure 8 A Preliminary Mapping of the Service Providers ........................................................................................................ xvi Figure 9 Project Grievance Mechanism to Address SEASH Complaints ............................................................................ xvii Figure 10 SEASH Procedures and Response Protocol .............................................................................................................. xviii Executive Summary This Gender and SEA/SH Risk Mitigation and Response Action Plan provides an overview of the key issues related to potential sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment (SH) and gender-based violence (GBV) during construction activities under the proposed Jamuna River Economic Corridor Development Program, Project 1 (JRECDP-1) (Project). According to the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100, the Jamuna River is of great importance in the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of the country. The implementation of the project will lead to increased economic growth in the riverine economy and management of the Jamuna river system. This Action Plan is built on Gender and SEASH analysis from country perspective and the project perspective. The aim here was to identify opportunities for women to benefit from the project construction, highlight key issues, explain the processes involved, and provide a road map for addressing, mitigating and responding to the potential GBV risks throughout the program period. This Gender and SEA/SH Risk Mitigation and Response Action Plan discusses various risks and challenges associated with the JRECDP-1 in Bangladesh. It identifies significant gender-based violence risks associated with the project. The patriarchal societal structure, traditional gender roles, and gender inequality in Bangladesh contribute to widespread GBV in Bangladesh. The negative impacts of program that will particularly affect women and need to be mitigated are: (i) loss of land and properties; (ii) disruption of livelihoods and living; (iii) changes in social and cultural support mechanisms; and finally, (iv) increased risk of SEA/SH. Since, the project will acquire land with potential displacement of the families, the women are particularly worried as the displacement and resettlement will affect them physically, emotionally and psychologically – more than men. The burden of resettlement will be more on women in the family. Due to limited or no access to resources and opportunities, women-headed households in the program areas may undergo disproportionate impact in the process of land acquisition, resettlement and project construction. The action plan highlights the risks related to labor influx, land acquisition, and community-level activities. The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment identified substantial SEA/SH risks associated with the project such as increased demand for sex work, leading to displacement, loss of livelihood, and poverty, which could result in child marriage, abandonment, and intimate partner violence. The action plan proposes mitigation measures, both preventive and curative, along with specific actions to promote gender and women empowerment. The report recommends strengthening the E&S risk management capacity of implementing agencies and proposes the establishment of a separate unit for E&S Risk Management with adequate workforces. The report concludes that the project must take into account the potential gender-based violence risks associated with the project and develop appropriate measures to address them. The gendered Impacts and SEASH Risks of the project have been assessed as ‘Substantial’ as per the World Bank Civil Works and Social Protection and Jobs Tools without any mitigation measures in place. This is especially relevant in the charlands. The residual impacts and risk after adoption of mitigation measures are to be low. However, the overal program has been rated as a “high Risk Program” by the World Bank. Although the project 1 involves moderate risk, the Mitigation Action Plan suggestes inclusion of Gender and SEASH Specialist in the PIU which is generally recommended for a High Risk project. The Gender and SEA/SH action plan has been prepared in line with the World Bank (WB) Good Practice Note (GPN). The approach taken is thus informed by the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) laws/regulation and the WB guidelines on safeguarding women’s safety and rights. The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), and Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDRA) have developed a gender strategy to promote gender equality in their human resource practices and planning documents. The strategy includes incorporating gender aspects into job access and livelihood improvement for women in river communities, as well as including women in program planning, implementation, and monitoring. Additionally, there are plans 5 to ensure representation of women in executive committees and provide targeted leadership training for women. Other measures include sensitizing staff and contractors on gender-inclusive labor standards, establishing village women entrepreneurs' groups, and ensuring access to income-generating activities and services related to river management and disaster relief. Finally, the project will set up a monitoring and evaluation system that fosters monitoring of gender impacts and allows women to raise grievances. To prevent and mitigate instances of SEA/SH the following measures are recommended: organize meetings with relevant agencies to raise awareness about incorporating SEA/SH action plans, clearly define SEA/SH risks, requirements, and expectations in project documents, ensure the implementation agency has a SEA/SH specialist, conduct rapid assessments of training institutions and update SEA/SH action plans accordingly, integrate SEA/SH requirements in bid documents, evaluate contractor responses to SEA/SH proposals, map GBV prevention and response actors, prepare a referral process for GBV cases, disseminate information on referral pathways and awareness campaigns, establish an effective grievance redress mechanism (GRM) and SEA/SH reporting channels, assign a dedicated GRM officer, develop steps and procedures for SEA/SH complaints, provide separate facilities for women and men, display signs prohibiting SEA/SH on project sites, develop SEA/SH codes of conduct and ensure they are signed and understood by contractors and officials, prepare key performance indicators for monitoring SEA/SH and GBV risks, and submit quarterly monitoring and annual evaluation reports that are accessible to the public. 6 PART A: INTRODUCTION Chapter 1 Project 1.1 Project Background and Description The Jamuna is a multi-channel braided river, which serves as an important maritime route for riverine transports in the country as well in the region. However, the Jamuna is also known for disastrous floods and erosions. Due to shifting river courses and migration of river channels, people living along the Jamuna floodplain have experienced the loss of land and settlements on both sides of the bank, displacing an estimated one million people annually and creating a cycle of poverty and landlessness in the country. 1 In the past, the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) took some limited “structural” measures to control and/or regulate Jamuna river within the main channel and to cordon off large areas to protect them from flooding. The proposed Jamuna River Economic Corridor Development Program Project 1 (The Project), with potential funding from the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will support the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) in achieving its Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 (BDP2100) economic goals related to the Jamuna River by (a) boosting resilience against riverbank erosion and flooding; (b) improving river navigation capacity; (c) strengthening sector institutional capacity and collaboration. The lead implementing agencies (IAs) are the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), and the Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA) respectively, under the Ministry of Water Resources (MOWR), Ministry of Shipping (MOS) and Ministry of Finance (MoF). 1.2 Project Objectives and Components (SOP-Project 1) The Bank adopts Series of Project (SOP) Approach, with the 1st Project over four years. The project 1, with a budget of around US$ 195 million over four and a half years will focus on the following four components: (1) Riverbank protection and river training: pilot-level, scaled-down river training structures, such as temporary top-blocked permeable groins and riverbank revetments (revetment by geo-bags, concrete cubes etc.), 2D and 3D modeling, and onsite pilots of new river training technology (e.g. permeable groins) that may be scaled up in the program next phases; (2) Navigation channel development: hydrographic survey and chart updating, aids to navigation, preparation of a Jamuna River Navigation Master Plan and a Resource Management and Operation Plan; (3) Disaster risk financing: Risk financing solutions with clear triggers and preidentified disbursement channels will be developed through a grant from the Global Risk Financing Facility (GRFF). Phase 1 will set up the Government’s chosen instrument for disaster risk financing; and (4) Community Engagement and Project Management. The components comprise of the following broad interventions: (a) Component 1: Flood and bank erosion management (US$105 million): As part of the mitigation and preparedness phases of disaster management, this component will invest in integrated green and grey infrastructure and institutions that oversee it.  Subcomponent 1.1: Works and O&M. It will support capital and operating expenditure of (a) the transversal structures; and (b) the longitudinal structures, to be built between groins using geo- bags, geotextiles, cohesive soil, and vegetation. The structures will be climate adapted, designed to withstand 1-in-300-year and 1-in-100-year floods, respectively. An emergency plan will be in place to deal with potential, albeit unlikely, collapse of the structures induced by climate disasters. Such risk will be monitored through the existing flood prediction system.  Subcomponent 1.2: Land acquisition and compensation. It will finance the costs for land acquisition at the two 0sites in Subcomponent 1.1. Compensation costs for the affected people there will also be supported under this subcomponent.  Subcomponent 1.3: Institutional strengthening. To fulfill its role as the IA responsible for implementation of Component 1, including O&M, the BWDB will implement institutional strengthening activities that are assessed as lacking or weak such as a National River Management Master Plan and Capacity Building including training for BWDB staff. A gender strategy will be 1 Mohammad Zaman and Mustafa Alam (eds) Living on the Edge: Char Dwellers in Bangladesh , Springer 2021. 7 prepared by the BWDB to promote gender equality in its human resource practice and incorporate gender aspects in the planning documents.  Subcomponent 1.4: Preparation for the second project. Feasibility studies for the second project in the SoP will be prepared, including E&S and draft bid documents. (b) Component 2: Navigation channel development (US$60.8 million): Investments in this component are fundamental steps toward establishing year-round navigation channels of adequate depth that would accommodate large cargo vessels. Once the navigation channels are developed and stabilized, IWT costs will become lower and, subsequently, a modal shift from road and railway to waterway is expected to take place. The sub-components are:  Subcomponent 2.1: Hydrography and RIS. The subcomponent invests in developing and operating an RIS system that incorporates the following five services to meet the RIS maturity Level D+ of the PIANC standards.  Subcomponent 2.2: Prototype Structures. Design, commission, delivery, and O&M of a prototype environmentally friendly cargo vessel and cargo-handling pontoons  Subcomponent 2.3: Institutional Strengthening. Preparing Jamuna River Navigation Master Plan, Resources Management and Operations Plan; Capacity Building of BIWTA staffs; Community Engagement; Project Management  Subcomponent 2.4: Preparation for Phase 2. Detailed design, E&S studies, and bid documents will be prepared for more complex Phase 2 investments, including dredging for navigation (c) Component 3: Financial protection of communities (US$9 million): This component is inherently climate change adaptive because it offers financial protection to the local communities when payout- eligible climate events occur. The major activity of Component 3 would include:  Subcomponent 3.1: Design and development of prearranged financial solutions including macro or meso-level insurance such as disaster relief payments to climate vulnerable communities and a community protection fund.  Subcomponent 3.2: Institutional strengthening including a Gender Strategy by IDRA and water disaster emergency preparedness training for stakeholders. (d) Component 4: Community Engagement and Project Management (USD$20.3 million):  Subcomponent 4.1: Community driven development (CDD). The Project puts people along the Jamuna River at the center, directly engaging and empowering them, forming pilot Water Management Groups (WMGs) that promote participatory planning, decision making, and monitoring in the river management sector. They will be encouraged to use Labor Contracting Societies (LCS) to offer income generating opportunities. At least a third of their members will be women. A gender strategy will be prepared by the BWDB and BIWTA to ensure women’s access to livelihood opportunities and offer tailored training on their leadership and skills development. The WMGs would deal with the following subjects on a mutually unexclusive basis: - Climate and disaster risk preparedness and response will be enhanced in select communities by apprising them of contingency planning and early action protocols, including in Component 1 sites to deal with potential, albeit unlikely, collapse of the structures induced by climate disasters. Targeted training will be delivered to communities to help them understand the financial protection to be offered through Component 3 and post-shock labor opportunities through LCS. - Buoys management cannot be done solely by the BIWTA and help from local communities is a must. WMGs will be formed in select communities to encourage their ownership of the asset and inform how villagers can avoid behaviors that may incur damages to buoys. LCS will be contracted to perform basic maintenance and report any abnormalities that they cannot handle to the BIWTA as soon as possible. - Kawakhola char development will engage communities from planning and design stages. LCS will be contracted to do some relevant civil works, including those relevant to climate change mitigation, such as constructing embankments and revetments, re- excavation of the canal etc. 8  Subcomponent 4.2: Project management. It will support the BWDB, BIWTA, and IDRA’s Project Implementation Units (PIUs) for implementing the Project. Costs to be covered include equipment, furniture, and consultancy services on fiduciary, E&S, and M&E. (e) Component 5: Contingent emergency response component (CERC). 1.3 Study Area and Project Area of Influence The study area covered (1) Charland of Kawakhola in Sirajganj; (2) Fulchari, Gaibandha, and (3) Kalihati in Tangail Upazila for piloting of the Component 1 of Project 1. Chapter 2 Socio-economic Profiles of the Project Sites 2.1 General Description of the Project Area of Influence The Jamuna River is one of the major rivers covering many districts in Bangladesh's north and central parts. Many people living on/beside the riverbank and chars in the Jamuna River are among some of the most vulnerable and marginalized populations in Bangladesh. Many have no land and live on embankments of the river and/or, chars. The vulnerabilities are due to the frequency and severity of extreme weather events like river erosion, flooding, loss of aquatic resources, climate change compounded by social factors of poverty, landlessness, and lower social status. While communities living around the Jamuna River are vulnerable, it is essential to recognize that communities cannot be treated as homogenous groups. Other social variables within communities may lead to different or disproportionately distributed access to resources, rights and vulnerability among specific social groups. 2.2 Community Mobilization, Construction and workforce The construction of the pilot sites is scattered in Kalihati of Tangail District, Kawakhola char of Sirajganj district and Fulchari of Gaibandha District. However, the scope of construction work is relatively small in size and would require about an estimated 200-300 workers (during pick time) in each site. 2 The project also involves community mobilization, skill development and cash transfer activities among the rural communities around the project sites to support in building their resilience and coping capacity. This will be carried out by working with the WMGs and LCSs, In sum, the project will engage four types of workers in the implementation: direct, contracted, primary supplier and community workers 3. The civil works construction period will likely be two years (2022/23 to 2024/25), followed by two years of monitoring of the pilot schemes for their performance and effectiveness for Phase 2 adoption and/or modifications. 2See JRECDP Labor Management Procedures, Table 3.1, August 2021. 3BWDB sometime form project-based “Labor Contract Society” to implementing labor-intensive earth works, mostly during the operation and maintenance phase. The Community Driven Developments might engage community workers. 9 PART B: GENDER ACTION PLAN Chapter 3 Gender Analysis 3.1 Country Context Currently, the national male-female ratio is 100.2 (as per 2017 BBS data) which was 104.9 in the 2011 (BBS, 20184). Overall, the number of male-headed households is dominant in the country (85.8%), which is also similar in rural and urban area. However, the number of female-headed households is slightly higher (14.4%) in rural area than that of urban area (13.8%) (BBS, 2018). Literacy rate among women is 70% and showing a gradually increasing trend. In the schools, girls’ participation is more regular than the boys, because boys are often engaged in earning from a very early age for their families. Further detailed assessment is provided in the annex-1. Although, the government is consistently trying to prevent child marriage through legal and social measures, 23.8% of girls are still getting married before the age of 15. The availability of male labor force is higher than women. Female labor force is 20 million against 43.5 million male labor force. Among the 20 million female labor force, 15 million is in rural area. Notwithstanding, the participation of women in jobs and in politics has significantly improved throughout the country in the recent decades. Besides household premise, spaces where women have their mobility are agricultural land (women living in chars and extremely poor women only), well off families in their respective villages (to borrow money), NGOs (for microcredits and as training participants), community clinic (as they are the ones taking care of children and also for pregnancy checkups). A quantitative study conducted by ICDDR-B, with UNFPA and other Partners on “Men's Attitudes and Practices Regarding Gender and Violence5 reported that gender inequitable attitudes were very common among men. The study found that almost 20%-29% of men supported gender inequitable statements and only 1%-5% strongly disagree. The research also found that men who have been abused as a child are at least two times more likely to use violence against women later on in life. 3.2 Institutional Context A comprehensive institutional assessment has been made under the ESIA to explore the Environmental and Social Capacity of the implementing agencies. Currently women employment in the implementing agencies are low. The BWDB has 11.67% women staffs. However, there is no women in the top management (i.e., Director General to Additional Chief Engineer). Among the Superintending Engineers and equivalent other officials, women officials are only 2.9% (3 out of 101). Among the assistant engineers and equivalent officials 10.2% are women which is relatively better. In case of BIWTA only 5.7% are women staffs. However, among the officials, the figure is 10.05% and among the support staff, 5.37% are women. IDRA also has low female staff number similar to BIWTA and BWDB. The assessment revealed that a focused institutional arrangement for managing E&S Risk and ensuring integration of E&S risk management by the IAs into operation is yet to be planned and established. The gap analysis also found that the IAs currently have little institutional focus on gender, although the responsibilities are mentioned in the general terms of reference of the O&M circles and Executive offices. For almost all foreign aided ongoing projects, the project management unit (PMU) has institutional arrangement for E&S setup which includes Gender Specialist to take the responsibility of integrating gender issues in planning and implementation. Among the IAs, BWDB has a limited permanent capacity in managing E&S risk including gender issues. Currently, BWDB has a few positions of Sociologist who also take care of gender issues. 4Gender statistics, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistic 5Naved, R.T., et al. 2011. Men's Attitudes and Practices Regarding Gender and Violence Against Women in Bangladesh" in 2011. Iccdr,b, UBFPA, Partners for Prevention and The change Project. Available at http://www.partners4prevention.org/resource/mens-attitudes-and-practices-regarding-gender-and- violence-against-women-bangladesh-0 10 3.3 Project Context The gender situation in the project area is below the national average. Women’s vulnerability to erosion and resulted displacement, poverty etc. are playing important role here. When faced with financial shortages, men generally migrate to other areas where agricultural harvesting job is available or do rickshaw pulling in nearby cities. In extremely poor HHs, women also engage in public works like day laboring. When men of the HHs are away from home women have to run the family and ensure HH food security. During the lean period women in char area do all sorts of agricultural work such as vegetables production, goats and chickens rearing, etc. The women in charlands who are also among the poorest and most disadvantaged, informed in consultations that their burden is doubled as they have to participate both in HH chores and income-generating activities. In both charlands and embankment, a large proportion of women’s time and labor goes into searching and gathering firewood and collecting crop residues for fuel and natural vegetation for livestock fodder. Such works are very laborious and time-consuming and expose them to potential risk of SEA/SH. The sad reality is that in spite of that, their work remains mostly uncounted and unrecognized. The proposed project aims to protect and stabilize the river bank and thereby enhance the livelihood resilience. Such resilience improvement would close the gender gap especially by reducing vulnerabilities related to erosion and flooding. 11 Chapter 4 Gender Action Plan – Issues and Opportunities 4.1 Gendered Impacts of the Project In general, female labor participation in Bangladesh remains significantly lower than that of men and tends to concentrate in informal non-skilled labor. Limited access to technical and vocational education, gaps in hard and soft skills, social norms around household care responsibilities and women’s participation in male- dominated fields, early marriage, mobility constraints are common reasons. Although the GoB set out a clear strategy for gender parity in jobs in 2011, gaps in available data and institutional capacity have curtailed efforts to implement the strategy as well as monitor progress. Disaster relief is hard to reach women since only 36 percent of women, compared to 65 percent of men, have an account at a financial institution. Since women are less likely to have assets, they are also more vulnerable during water-related disasters. Women’s representation and leadership presence in the water sector is estimated to be generally low, both at the government and community levels. Besides, there is lack of gender-sensitive data, M&E systems, and planning capacity. Currently, only 20 percent of representatives in community water management groups (WMGs) are women, with almost little or no presence in decision-making roles. Only 6 percent of employees in water and sanitation utilities in Bangladesh are reported women. . This results in gender gaps in access to services related to river management, disaster relief, IWT, and income-generating opportunities In line with the World Bank’s Gender Tag requirements, the Project 1 seeks to address gender gaps specific to the sector. The identified gaps include significant gender disparities in the decision-making process, access to sector employment, river-based livelihoods, post-flood recovery, and IWT services. These gaps are in part driven by weak institutional capacity and a lack of gender-sensitive strategy and M&E= framework. To address these gaps, the Project will (a) incorporate gender capacity building in Subcomponents 1.4 and 2.4 by developing and implementing gender strategies and M&E frameworks in the IAs; (b) incorporate gender aspects in the planning documents to be prepared under Subcomponents 1.4 and 2.4; and (c) ensure women are well-represented and their voices are heard and reflected in community engagement activities under Subcomponent 4.1. Two indicators are included to monitor progress. The Project will ensure that necessary orientation sessions and training are conducted for improved awareness and practices. Women’s access to disaster risk financing, income generating opportunities, and leadership roles in WMGs is expected to be improved through the Project. The negative impacts of program that will particularly affect women and need to be mitigated are: (i) loss of land and properties; (ii) disruption of livelihoods and living; (iii) changes in social and cultural support mechanisms; and finally, (iv) increased risk of SEA/SH. Since, the project will acquire land with potential displacement of the families, the women are particularly vulnerable as the displacement and resettlement will affect them physically, emotionally and psychologically – more than men. The burden of resettlement will be more on women in the family. Due to limited or no access to resources and opportunities, women-headed households in the program areas may undergo disproportionate impact in the process of land acquisition, resettlement and project construction. Both displacement and relocation will have direct adverse impacts on household income and on women in the family. Affected women will lose their traditional way of living and will require time to adjust to the new relocated place. The project may also have an impact on the livelihood, especially of marginalized women, due to a possible loss of access to common resources namely- water, grazing land, fishing – resulting in major shifts in their incomes and livelihood means. Women have a social support system in the villages. No matter how strict the setup is within their villages, they support each other and share in times of need. In the village women largely can depend on kinship support. With displacement, this system may disintegrate, at least temporarily. With the imminent psychosocial pressure of resettlement and impending uncertainties, the risk of domestic violence against women may rise further. In addition, external labor workforce or migrants attracted by work opportunities may increase the risk of sexual assault and violation, increased risk of extra-marital sex, and multiple sex partners may increase. These risks, given the scale of the project in Phase 1, may likely be low to moderate. The potential positive impact towards gender equality that needs to be fostered are: (i) enhanced employment opportunity; (ii) active participation and decision making; (iii) an increase of skills and knowledge; and (iv) 12 gender mainstreaming overall and within the activities of BWDB, BIWTA and IDRA. The program will generate substantial direct short and long-term employment opportunities in the construction and strengthening of the embankment. These jobs during the construction as well as for the embankment maintenance will bring gains in terms of incomes, skill development and empowerment for both men and women. Since the program has adopted an inclusive process through stakeholder consultation and FGDs, it is expected to foster participation of women in the design phase of the program. This will continue through the implementation phases as well, to keep building confidence amongst women. The project has the opportunity to build skills for women through targeted livelihood and skill development programs. In the context of gender roles and division of labour, women’s status may improve due to earning an income and more active participation in decision-making. Furthermore, gender and gender-based violence related awareness rising programs will help the process. On an administrative level, gender mainstreaming within the BWDB, BIWTA and IDRA will be promoted through training and awareness rising programs to ensure gender responsible resettlement measures and provide services and safeguards against SEA/SH vulnerabilities. A gender strategy will be prepared by the BWDB to promote gender equality in its human resource practice and incorporate gender aspects in the planning documents. Potential actions include (a) collaborations with academic and vocational training partners to improve women’s pathways from education to employment; and (b) sensitization and capacity building on (i) fair and transparent recruitment opportunities, (ii) female- empowering retention policies (including considerations for safety, flexible work arrangements, and childcare services); and (iii) inclusive decision making and advancement opportunities for women. The Project will focus on drafting and validating these strategies, and the second project will implement them. There is also a risk of increasing COVID 19 or other communicable diseases risks among the women during the construction period. The risk can be categorized and evaluated as follows: COVID 19 Risk Among the Women Significance Increase of COVID-19 spreading risk in the women due to labor influx Increase of COVID-19 spreading risk in the women due to visit of outsider Substantial Increase of COVID-19 spreading risk in the project-related women staffs (Note: For detail, please see the Annex 3) 4.2 Gender Action Plan In view of the above, the proposed gender action plan is intended to (i) promote women’s participation in project planning and implementation; (ii) maximize women’s access to project benefits; (iii) provide opportunities to increase women’s skills, incomes and participation in decision-making (practical and strategic benefits to women, progress towards gender equality); and (iv) minimize social vulnerability. Table 4.1 summaries key objectives of the GAP, activities and target groups. 13 Table 1 Table 4.1 Gender Action Plan Table 2 Objectives Activities Target Group Responsibilities Timeframe Development of a  A gender strategy will be developed by the BWDB, BIWTA and Women groups BWDB, BIWTA, Developed by the mid- Gender Strategy IDRA to promote gender equality in its human resource practice IDRA, WB term review of the first and incorporate gender aspects in the planning documents to phase of the project. ensure - equality in access to jobs in river management, IWT, disaster risk financing, and - improving livelihood for women in river communities. Participation in  Include women in the program planning, implementation and Women groups BWDB, During the program program design monitoring 
 BIWTA, IDRA, preparation and at the and  Include women in community consultation groups WB beginning of the implementation  Baseline survey incorporating gender issues implementation and improved  Select female respondents for the baseline survey and other decision-making social research  Ensure 30% representation of women in the executive committee of all WMGs formed under the project. Ensure that at least one out of the top five positions is a woman.  Provide targeted leadership trainings for women in the executive committees. Participation in  Inform affected women/families of entitlements and time table Affected women BWDB, Throughout the program resettlement for compensation and relocation PIU, Social Safeguard implementation planning design  Involve both female-headed households (FHH) and male-headed Specialist and access to households (MHH) in the compensation and livelihood decision- compensation making process  FHHs receive equal compensation as MHH according to land acquisition and resettlement framework.  Ensure joint ownership of both spouses in resettlement land deeds  Include elected female member of the local government system in the planning and disclosure phase Access to and  Inclusion of relevant clause in the bid document on employment Women laborers, PIUs – BWDB and Throughout the program benefit from of women, labor contractors and PMO BIWTA, implementation construction and  Ensure standard and equal wage for women and men labors staff Gender Specialist, excavation  Sensitize all PMO/ field level/ NGO staff on aspects of gender- Social Safeguard Specialist 14 inclusive labor standard  Sensitize all contractors on aspects of gender-inclusive labor standard (sanitation, services and equal wages)  Incorporate gender-disaggregated data in monitoring Increased skills,  Basic gender awareness raising for the resettlement HHs Women and men of PIU – BWDB and Throughout the program income and  Establish village women entrepreneurs’ groups the Resettlement BIWTA, implementation livelihood  Train women on productive on-farm and off-farm AIGAs HHs Gender Specialist, restoration Social Safeguard  Provide business literacy, identify markets and link with markets Specialist  Community savings scheme for women  One third of Labor Contracting Societies (LCS), which will offer income generating opportunities, will be women.  Increased portion of water management groups (WMGs) with women in leadership positions. Reduction of  Baseline GBV SEA/SH sensitization for the resettlement villages Women in the PIU, social  Registrar women’s Group under department of social welfare to community and Gender Specialist, vulnerability of operate community savings scheme in resettlement village affected/ resettled Social Safeguard women  Aware women’s group to raise voice on women’s right based villages Specialist issues Ensure project  Ensure baseline data is sex-disaggregated; Ensure women’s Women in the local BWDB, BIWTA, IDRA At the beginning and design and access to services related to river management, and disaster community, during implementation management to relief including IWT. Contractor, PIU, give due  Ensure women’s access to income-generating activities BWDB, BIWTA consideration to  Set up the project M&E system in a way that fosters monitoring gender issues of gender impacts; Ensure awareness raising in the communities, about the GRM set up by the project which will allow women to raise grievances. Ensure Women  Ensure that when the DRF solution under the component 3 will Women in the local IDRA, BWDB and At the beginning and Participation in implemented, women of the local community are included in the community BIWTA, World Bank during implementation decision making decision making of DRF solution  While designing the DRF solution, special focus should be given on women considering their special vulnerabilities due to riverbank erosion and flood  Training of the local women to ensure effective participation in DRF implementation Increase Women  Encourage women graduates to prefer BIWTA and BWDB for Women BWDB, BIWTA, IDRA At the beginning and Employees in IA employment graduates/job during implementation  Improve the working environment to make the organization and seeker, BWDB, offered job attractive to the women BIWTA, IDRA 15 Institutional  Provision of Gender Specialist in the PIU Implementing BWDB, BIWTA, IDRA During project Strengthening of  Provision of both Gender specialist and SEA/SH risk mitigation Agencies, Consultant preparation, the IAs to manage specialist in the E&S consultant team for Project 1 implementation and Risk and implementation and monitoring and preparation of Project 2 monitoring. opportunities related to Gender 16 4.3 Cost and Budget The IAs will keep provisions for adequate budget in the DPP for implementation of the Gender Action Plan. Table 4.2 contains an estimated budget for Phase 1 for Gender action plan implementation. The budget provided below is lump sum and may be revised, if and when necessary, mobilizing resources from other sources such as project contingencies. Table 4.2 Cost and Budget for Gender Action Plan – Phase 1 Sl. No. Cost Item US$ 1 Development of Gender Strategy 20,000 2 Baseline Gender Survey 10,000 4 Ensure women’s participation in project activities and benefits 20,000 Consultation with stakeholders and communities in project areas 20,000 6 Targeted leadership trainings for women in the executive committees. 20,000 TOTAL USD 90,000 PART C: SEA/SH RESPONSE AND MITIGATION PLAN Chapter 5 The Context and Risk Assessment 5.1 Gender Based Violence (GBV): An Overview GBV is a common problem for Bangladesh. With remarkable economic progress accompanied with the highest ever women participation in education, the job and labor market Bangladesh faces daunting challenges to provide a safe environment for women both in private and public places. According to a survey conducted by BBS and UNFPA in 2015, around 73% married women have experienced violence by their husband and 50% mentioned physical violence in their lifetime 6. The reasons of widespread GBV in Bangladesh is multifaceted. Bangladeshi society is predominately patriarchal and religious. Women's role is clearly defined by traditional and customary norms which enforce the traditional gender division of labor. Patriarchal values and traditional gender role tend to hinder women's access to public sphere. Confined in the private sphere and trapped in traditional gender roles, women lag behind in education, asset ownership, decision-making, mobility, and economic opportunities. All those factors have created a huge power imbalance and inequality between men and women. According to a UN multi-country research7 gender inequality, power imbalance, violent masculinity, and other individual, communal and social factors are the root causes of GBV and harassment. Discrimination on the basis of sex or gender identity is not only a cause of many forms of GBV, but also contributes to the widespread acceptance and invisibility of such violence—so that perpetrators are not held accountable, and survivors are discouraged from speaking out and accessing support. A further detail of the GBV both from the country level context and the project level context has been provided in the Annex 1. 5.2 SEA/SH Risk and Impact Assessment The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Identified a number of SEA/SH risks associated with the Phase 1 activities which were assessed as ‘substantial’ based on the Bank’s civil works and social protection tools combined with the analysis and judgement of the Gender team. These risks are mostly related with the civil works, land acquisition, labor influx, the capacity of IAs, financial protection of communities under Component 3 and community level income generating activities under Component 4. The details of the Gender 6 Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Statistics and Informatics Division, Ministry of Planning, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Report on Violence Against Women Survey 2015, 2016. 7 United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Asia and the Pacific Regional Office, and UN Women Asia and the Pacific Regional Office Ending Violence against Women and Children in Asia and the Pacific: Opportunities and Challenges for Collaborative and Integrative Approaches, 2021. 17 and SEA/SH risk and impact assessment are provided in Annex 3 of this report. The highlights of the SEA/SH risk assessment are: (i) The project will involve construction work under Component-1. Most of the labour demand will be met locally. However, the high- and semi-skilled labor will be recruited from outside, causing some labor influx. This labor influx may increase the demand for sex work, including the risk of trafficking of women for sex work, forced early marriage with construction workers as a livelihood strategy, and increase the demand for transactional sex. (ii) The project will involve land acquisition under Component-1, which may lead to displacement, loss of residential and agricultural land, loss of assets or access to assets altogether, resulting in loss of income and livelihood. This increased poverty and marginalization can lead to child marriage, abandonment by spouse and family, and intimate partner violence. (iii) Activities under Component 4 include activities in rural settings involving both women and girls. SEA/SH risks could also increase through activities such as cash transfer through disaster and crop insurance, community mobilization and trainings sessions. (iv) Community-women are used to use the river for bathing and daily household chores. So any sort of river management work will expose them to the workers and officials. Besides, the construction work of the program may occur near school routes or pedestrians that are frequently accessed by local women and girls which may increase their exposure to project workers and as a result, may increase the risk of SEA/SH. Women and girls in the community may experience eve-teasing, and other forms of SEA/SH. (v) The Jamuna chars are some of the most remote areas of Bangladesh where legal and medical support barely reaches. Low capacity of IAs is a further contributing factor to higher SEA/SH risk. If river management work includes chars, it may increase the risk of trafficking for women and adolescents of that area and adjacent areas. (vi) The Program may employ women as laborers. If they work along with male laborers without proper labor management and gender strategy, they may face SEA/SH and other forms of GBV. Bangladesh government has agency/cell under the Ministry of Women’s and Children Affairs responsible to addressing SEA/SH related cases with aid and assistance from the police. Besides, different national and international organizations work to mitigate SEA/SH. But most of these facilities are available in urban areas. The SEA/SH Action Plan have detailed the relevant mitigation measures, both preventive and curative, along with specific actions to promote gender and women empowerment (table 6.1). 5.3 Institutional Capacity The E&S risk management capacity of the IAs is institutionally limited by inadequate workforce and human resource policy & practice. Currently, only the BWDB has an E&S Unit in its organogram consisting of multi- disciplinary staffs, who have no experience on WB’s Environmental and Social Framework (ESF). BIWTA and IDRA are currently implementing Bank-financed project under safeguards (OP/BPs). In view of the Bank’s potential engagement over 10-12 years period, the JSRMP-1 will include measures for systemic institutional strengthening on E&S risk management for the IAs. The systematic assessment presented in the ESIA clearly indicates that there is a need of establishing a separate unit for E&S Risk Management with adequate workforces in BWDB. The ESIA proposes the establishment of a new Wing/Unit to be entitled as “Environment and Social Risk Management (E&SRM)” headed by a Chief (equivalent to a chief Engineer, Grade 2) under the Director General of BWDB. The wing will have offices at – i) Head Quarter, ii) Central Office, and iii) nine zonal offices. At each office, there are positions for Social Risk Management. The job description of the E&SRM includes the gender risk management. In case of BIWTA, the ESIA proposes a dedicated directorate on E&S Risk Management in BIWTA to be headed by a director. The directorate is proposed to be established under the office of the Chairman of BIWTA. The job description of the E&S Risk Management Directorate includes the SEA/SH risk management. The detail of the proposal (organogram, job description, etc.) can be found in Chapter 14 of the ESIA. 18 The ESIA also includes plans for ad-hoc capacity for the project management unit/project implementation unit of the all three IAs. Recruitment of Gender/SEA/SH specialists with the responsibilities of managing the risk of SEA/SH is included in the project’s environmental and social commitment plan (ESCP) by the IAs. 5.4 Guiding Principles of SEA/SH and GBV in JRECDP-1 The IAs (BWDB/BIWTA/IDRA) will underpin all efforts to assess, prevent, respond to and monitor SEA/SH in the Program for safe operations of all project activities. The approach taken will be (i) Context-specific on solid understanding of the local legal and social context of SEA/SH. (ii) Survivor-centric having full respect to those affected/experienced and their wishes ensuring confidentiality. (iii) Collaborative work with internal and external stakeholders to identify risks, prevent SEA/SH and respond to reports. (iv) Inclusive, non-discriminatory and informed in addressing the risk of SEA/SH and providing access to independent, objective and nonjudgmental spaces to discuss concerns. Chapter 6 SEA/SH Risk Mitigation Action Plan Following the mitigation hierarchy, the following mitigation measures have been proposed in the Table below. This is prepared to meet ‘substantial’ risk rating as per the Bank’s Good Practice Note (GPN) on “major civil works” and “social protection and jobs” (SPJ). 19 Table 6.1 Recommended SEA/SH Action Plan Objectives Activities Responsibility Timeframe Sensitizing the PIUs, and Organize meeting with BWDB, BIWTA and IDRA before the World bank Project Preparation (DPP, integrating the SEA/SH negotiation to sensitize them about the need of PAD preparation) into the DPP and PAD incorporating SEA/SH action plan into the Project Clearly define the SEA/SH risks, requirements and BWDB, BIWTA, IDRA Project Preparation (DPP, expectations and the associated cost in the DPP as per the PAD preparation) Mitigation Plan, and ESMP Ensure IA has a SEA/SH specialist to support project BWDB, BIWTA, IDRA Project Preparation (DPP, implementation. PAD preparation) and PIU formation Rapid assessment on extent to which training providing BWDB, BIWTA, IDRA institutions are safe spaces; and review existing GBV/SEA/SH policies, procedures and grievance reporting mechanisms in such institutions. Integrating SEASH into Update the SEA/SH Action Plan as per the detailed BWDB, BIWTA and IDRA Bidding/Tendering the project Documents information of the project and updated ESIA Clearly define and integrate the SEA/SH requirements and BWDB, BIWTA and IDRA Bidding/Tendering expectations in the bid documents and relevant Terms of References (TORs). Based on the project’s needs, the Bank’s Standard BIWTA, BWDB, IDRA Bidding/Tendering Procurement Documents (SPDs), and the IA’s policies and goals, define the requirements to be included in the bidding documents and relevant TORs for a CoC which addresses SEA/SH. The procurement documents should set out clearly how BIWTA, BWDB, IDRA Bidding/Tendering adequate SEA/SH costs will be paid for in the contract. This could be, for example, by including: (i) line items in bill of quantities for clearly defined SEA/SH activities (such as preparation of relevant plans) or (ii) specified provisional sums for activities that cannot be defined in advance (such as for implementation of relevant plan/s, engaging SEA/SH service providers, if necessary) Evaluate the contractor’s SEA/SH response proposal in the BIWTA, BWDB, IDRA C-ESMP and confirm prior to finalizing the contract the Bid Evaluation contractor’s ability to meet the project’s SEA/SH requirements 20 Objectives Activities Responsibility Timeframe SEA/SH prevention and Mapping GBV prevention and response actors in national Gender/SEA-SH At the beginning and during response service and local level (See Annex 4) Specialist in the PIUs implementation mapping Prepare a shorter list of two/three service providers PIUs, Gender/SEA-SH At the beginning and during working on the ground and identify informal community- Specialist implementation based women’s groups that also involved in SEA/SH. Following a quality assessment, identify service providers and establish linkages to provide referral and support services to survivors as per the GRM guidance note on SEA/SH. Develop a referral process to response SEA/SH cases Gender/SEA-SH At the beginning and during Specialist in implementation consultation with WB Disseminate information, in collaboration with SEA/SH PIUs: BWDB, BIWTA, At the beginning and during service providers, on SEA/SH referral pathway and the IDRA with support from implementation importance of timely seeking services the Social Development Specialist, WB Review the Implementing Gender/SEA-SH At the beginning and during Agency’s capacity to prevent and respond to SEA/SH Specialist implementation Create awareness on PIUs, with support from During the program SEA/SH and GBV Prepare relevant communication materials on SEA/SH and the SEA/SH Specialist preparation and at the disseminate these materials beginning of the implementation Develop an awareness-raising campaign on SEA/SH to raise BWDB, BIWTA, IDRA At the beginning of the awareness among all stakeholders implementation Develop content and conduct targeted training and BWDB, BIWTA, IDRA At the beginning and during orientation session: implementation Training/orientation sessions to sensitize IAs on importance of addressing SEA/SH risks on the project and the mechanisms that will be implemented. Stakeholder Awareness raising and sensitization on SEA/SH with the PIUs with support from Throughout the program consultations and project-affected local communities to inform them properly the respective Social implementation Disclosure on SEA/SH about the potential SEA/SH risks and safety concerns. Safeguards Specialist action plan in the project and Gender/SEA-SH area Specialists 21 Objectives Activities Responsibility Timeframe Engage local stakeholders (political, cultural, religious, As above Throughout the program health teams, local councils, social workers) in awareness implementation rising activities Discussions with women and girls (led by an expert) on As above Throughout the program avenues that they feel are safe and contextually relevant for implementation them to use to report. This will inform the reporting channels designed for the project. SEA/SH sensitive Establish an effective grievance redress mechanism (GRM) BWDB, BIWTA, IDRA At the beginning of the channels for reporting in (Annex 5 & 6) with multiple channels to complaint about program implementation the Grievance Redress SEA/SH and establish SEA/SH allegations reporting Mechanism (GRM) channels. Identify SEA/SH focal person (trained in handling SEA/SH BWDB, BIWTA, IDRA Throughout the program cases) from existing project based GRCs to monitor that the with support from WB implementation GRM receives and processes complaints in a timely and effective fashion. During the program Assign dedicated GRM officers who will be trained on how to preparation respond to such cases and integrate a data management and consenting process that meets the standards of SEA/SH data management and consent. Develop steps/procedures and response protocol (Annex 6) for SEA/SH complaints from reporting to registration, inquiry/investigation, action, and monitoring and evaluation Have separate, safe and easily accessible facilities for women Improve infrastructure and men working on the site. Latrines should be located in PIUs (BWDB, IDRA, and create environment separate areas, well-lit and include the ability to be locked BIWTA), Contractor Before mobilization on the for women workers from the inside. site Visibly display signs around the project site (if applicable) that signal the workers and the community that SEA/SH is prohibited in the project site Code of Conduct Develop SEA/SH Codes of conduct based on relevant law, PIUs (BWDB, IDRA, During the program policies and existing public servants code of conduct BIWTA) preparation Mention the SEA/SH Codes of conduct requirements and PIUs (BWDB, IDRA, At the beginning of the expectations in the bidding documents and relevant TORs BIWTA) program implementation for contractor 22 Objectives Activities Responsibility Timeframe Ensure Codes of Conduct signed and understood by the PIUs (BWDB, IDRA, Throughout the program contractor and other officials BIWTA) implementation Compliance Monitoring Prepare a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) for PIUs (BIWTA, BWDB, Before implementation and Reporting monitoring SEA/SH risks and tracking progress. IDRA) A monitoring plan with multiple methods, tailored to local PIUs (BIWTA, BWDB Before implementation contexts and relevant to project operations will be prepared and IDRA) Prepare and submit quarterly monitoring report to the Bank PIUs (BIWTA, BWDB, Throughout the program covering all aspects of the SEA/SH activities and services IDRA) implementation delivered as per the action plan. 23 6.1 GRM to Address SEA/SH Complaints Annex 5 includes a GRM model prepared based on the Project Level GRM Model of Good Practice Note of the World Bank. The IAs will further update the GRM when the construction methodology, labor requirements, labor management procedures and community mobilization (for component 3 and 4, in particular) are to be finalized. A general SEA/SH complaints and response protocol has also been prepared and included in Annex 6 which also should be updated and finalized once the PIUs are established. Since SEA/SH issues are sensitive, the PIUs will organize orientation and training on SEA/SH for project staff/contractors and members of GRCs on how to receive and handle SEA/SH, including the related complaints. To make the GRM more responsive to SEA/SH, the PIUs will map service providers at the local level and create linkages to ensure an information sharing protocol with the service providers so that survivor cases can be referred to and handled by the service provider while ensuring survivor-related information is carefully managed, and confidentiality is maintained. In addition, awareness campaigns and development of IEC materials on GRM will be done for the communities and stakeholders using easily accessible methods. The communication materials will be disseminated among the communities and stakeholders through appropriate channels and media including IAs website and use of social media. 6.2 Cost and Budget The IAs will keep provisions for adequate budget in the DPP for implementation of the SEA/SH action plan. Table 6.2 contains an estimated budget for Phase 1 of the Program for SEA/SH action plan implementation. The budget provided below is lump sum and can be revised, if and when necessary, mobilizing resources from other sources such as project contingencies. Table 6.2 Cost and Budget for SEA/SH Action Plan – Phase 1 Sl. No. Cost Item US$ 1 Training and orientation 50,000 2 IEC/Communication materials and distribution 10,000 3 SEA/SH Grievance Management 10,000 4 Consultation with stakeholders and communities in pilot sites 20,000 5 Referral services 20,000 6 Hiring local NGOs/Community workers for four pilot sites 50,000 TOTAL USD 160,000 i Annex: 1 Assessment of Gender and Gender based Violence 1. Country Context 1.1. Population composition In Bangladesh, the population size is gradually increasing, in which the gap between the male-female composition is decreasing. Of the total population, about 49.97% are females and the remaining 50.03% are males. Thus, male-female sex ratio was 100.2 in 2017, and 104.9 as reported in the 2011 (in the last census). (BBS, 2012; BBS, 20188). The age-wise share between male and female also show almost equal distribution (see Figure 1) Source: BBS, 2018 Figure 1 Population pyramid Overall, the number of male-headed households is dominant in the country (85.8%), which is also similar in rural and urban area. However, the number of female-headed households is slightly higher (14.4%) in rural area than that of urban area (13.8%) (BBS, 2018) (see Figure 2). * WHHs: women-headed households; MHHs: male-headed households Source: BBS, 2018 Figure 2 Distribution of household by sex of household head 8 Gender statistics ii 1.2. Marriage Although marriage before age 18 for girls and age 21 for boys in Bangladesh is prohibited according law, it is still persisting countrywide regardless rural and urban area. According to Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) (2012-2013), about 23.8% women get married before age of 15, to which rural area shares 24.9% and urban area shares 20.1% (BBS, 2018). 1.3. Health According to BBS (2018), the life expectancy for women was 73.5 years, whereas for men was 70.6 years in 2017. According to BBS (2015), average life expectancy increases 0.5 year annually. Crude death rate for women is 4.4 per thousand, whereas for men is 5.8 per thousand. In rural area, crude death rate is higher for both men and women (5.0 and 6.5 per thousand respectively) than urban area (3.6 and 5.8 per thousand respectively). Concerning delivery care, still a significant number of deliveries is carried out by un-trained traditional birth attendant (37.4%), although the tendency to go the qualified doctors has increased (30.9%). However, more than fifty percent delivery case is done at home (see Table 1 and Figure 3). Table 1 Health Care Facilities related to Pregnancy Sl. Assistance during delivery % 1 Qualified doctor 30.9 2 Nurse/ midwife/ paramedic 10.8 3 FWV 0.3 4 CSBA 0.1 5 Trained traditional birth attendant 10.2 6 Un-trained traditional birth attendant 37.4 7 Relatives and friends 6.3 Source: BBS Source: BBS Figure 3 Delivery related Health Care Scenario 1.4. Economic participation According to Labour Force Survey Bangladesh 2016-17 (in BBS, 2018), the availability of labour force of men is higher (43.5 million) than that of females (20 million). The male dominance labour force is also the iii picture of rural and urban area. Available women labour force is noticeably higher in rural area is 15 million while it is 5 million in urban area (Figure 4). Source: BBS, 2018 Figure 4 Available labor force by sex Concerning sector-wise involvement, women are mostly involved in agriculture sector (59.7%), whereas the highest percentage of men are involved in service sector (45.8%). Women involvement in both industry and service sectors is lower compared to the male counterpart (BBS, 2018). 1.5. Education The enrolment rate of females is increasing throughout the country, which results in decreasing the gap. The female literary rate is also increasing gradually. Thus, about 70% female can read and write (literate), which is about 74% for males (BBS, 1018). 1.6. Women empowerment The participation of female in jobs and in politics has significantly enhanced throughout the country. The Table 2 shows the participation rate (BBS, 2018). There are a number of spaces from where people avail resources and services. Among them, local market, port, microcredit NGOs, Union Parishad, hospital/ community clinic, school, college, and local government offices play pivotal roles. Besides household premise, spaces where women have their mobility are agricultural land (women living in chars and extremely poor women only), well off families in their respective villages (to borrow money), NGOs (for microcredits and as training participants), community clinic (as they are the ones taking care of children and also for pregnancy checkups). In the schools, girls’ participation is more regular than the boys, because boys are often engaged in earning from a very early age for their families. As girl’s participation in income- generating activities are not culturally accepted, mainly women participate in these sectors after marriage. The percentage of women in different income-generating activities are represented in Table 2. iv Table 2 Empowerment of men and women in 2017 Empowerment indices Women Men Women Percentage In national assembly* 73 277 20.9 Union Parishad (Chairmen) 31 4541 0.7 Union Parishad (Member) 13716 41148 25 Upazila Parishad (Chairmen) 7 483 1.4 Ministries/Divisions 2123 9532 18.22 Department/Directorates 333726 729900 31.38 Divisional and Deputy Commissioners’ Offices 3258 26446 10.97 Autonomous bodies/Corporations 29712 227601 11.55 Ministry of Defense 38 98 27.94 Police Force 110915 157041 7.05 Supreme Court (Appellate Division) 4 72 5.26 Supreme Court (High court Division) 178 1284 12.18 Primary Cooperative Society 2371981 8322572 22.18 Officers and Staff in Directorate of Nursing 27133 2834 90.54 [Source: BBS, 2018] 1.7. Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Sexual Harassment (SEA/SH) Women and men often face different vulnerabilities that are related to their culturally prescribed roles in society. In Bangladesh there is a great emphasis on the lower social and economic status of women, no exception has been found in study areas. Besides, multi-level social restrictions and isolating social practices have been found which limits girl’s and women’s spatial movement beyond their home. Women are also particularly vulnerable to domestic violence and other sorts of gender-based violence (see details in Table 3). Just as river bank communities are not homogenous groups, variations among women have also found. Beyond gender, there are other important and interacting intersectionality including the location of household, land ownership, poverty and age which plays an important role to shape the division of labour and role in the community. Table 3 Cases of Reported Violence Against Women and Children by Categories 2012- 2017 Type of women oppression Child Year Acid Seriously Rape Dowry Others Total oppression throwing injured 2012 3684 98 6704 132 8804 19422 1628 2013 3650 71 5716 183 8476 18096 1529 2014 3689 49 6867 184 8756 19545 1752 2015 3928 46 6595 277 8652 19498 1740 2016 3717 20 5278 145 7562 16722 1721 2017 3979 5 4125 85 6999 15193 1871 Total 22647 289 35285 1006 49249 108476 10241 Source: BBS 2018 2. Project Context In this sub-section, gender situation in the selected project area has been assessed. Lack of secondary data at the local level limits the scope of assessment. However, qualitative assessment by FGD has been attempted to fill the gap. 2.1. Demographic composition Out of total population in the pilot project sites (Tangail-Kalihati and Fulchari), the sex ratio is 100.7 referring to around 101 males per 100 females. According to a study (RMIP, Vol 2, 2014), about 6% households are female-headed in the country side, which is relatively higher in Charlands. The primary v reasons for female-headed households are: male migration, abandonment, divorce, and widowhood. The female-headed households are socially and economically disadvantaged. The majority of them have less earnings than that of the male-headed HHs. 2.2. Marriage According to marital status, about 8.5% women are widowed at Tangail-Kalihati (or Alipur) site, which 0.5% at Fulchari site (BBS, 2012). Thus, divorce rate for women in Tangail-Kalihati is higher than that of Fulchari for both men and women. Table 4 has demonstrated the percentage of the marital status at Fulchari and kalihati sites. Table 4 Percentage of marital status Fulchai Tangail-Kalihati Marital Status Male Female Male Female Never married 34.5 19.7 36.6 22.5 Married 64.9 69.1 62.9 68.4 Widowed 0.5 10.4 0.4 8.5 Divorced / 0.1 0.8 0.1 0.6 Separated Source: BBS, 2012 The average age of girls to get married is 12-16 years. Parents like to marry off their daughters at this early age due to social and political insecurity. Individual knowledge and mass awareness against child marriage are not sufficient. Besides, women’s rights to stand against domestic and other sorts of gender-based violence are not practiced at the community level. Women’s agencies are not effective and enough to escape/ignore/solve the problem of domestic violence which has been part of their norms and culture. 2.3. Health The crisis of health services is acute in riverbank areas especially, in charlands. Women go to discuss their reproductive issues with experts only in critical conditions. Common concern by most of the women was sanitary latrine. During monsoon, their houses and latrines used to submerge by the flood water and road communication become really bad which cause serious problem for the girls and women. Especially menstrual hygiene management and pregnant women’s health management becomes really difficult during that time. 2.4. Economic participation According to Table 5, there is a considerable gap between male and female concerning gender segregated employment status. The rate of male employment is significantly higher both in Tangail-Kalihati (20.95) and Fulchari (34.9%) sites, whereas only 0.9% women of Tangail-Kalihati and 4.5% of Fulchari area are employed. In both areas, women are mostly involved in household work (BBS, 2012). Table 5 Percentage of gender segregated employment status Tangail-Kalihati (%) Fulchari (%) Male Female Male Female Employed 20.9 0.9 34.9 4.5 Looking for work 0.2 0.0 0.5 0.2 Household work 0.4 23.6 3.9 43.4 Do not work 25.4 28.6 5.6 7.0 Source: BBS, 2012 The following Table 6 shows the distribution of employed men and women in three large sectors. Thus, men are mostly involved in agriculture sector. Women in both Tangail-Kalihati and Fulchari are mostly involved in service sector (3.4% in Tangail-Kalihati and 10.2% in Fulchari). However, in all sectors the presence of men is predominant. According to the field findings, some women and young girls work in garment industry in Dhaka and regularly send money to families. vi Table 6 Percentage of gender segregated employed people Tangail-Kalihati (%) Fulchari (%) Sectors Male Female Male Female Agriculture 54.7 0.6 84.3 1.1 Industry 4.6 0.2 1.5 0.2 Service 36.6 3.4 2.7 10.2 Source: BBS, 2012 There is a discrepancy of wage rate between men and women. The daily average rate also varies in terms of agricultural and non-agricultural work. Thus, in both project area, women have lesser wage rate than that of men (table-7). Table 7 Site-specific gender segregated daily wage rate in BDT Tangail-Kalihati (%) Fulchari (%) Type of activities Male Female Male Female Wage rate of agricultural labour (BDT) 475 360 450 350 Wage rate of non- agricultural labour (BDT) 440 365 430 320 Source: BBS, 2012 The following figure shows the average wage differences. Source: BBS, 2012 Figure 5 Gender segregated daily average wage rate When faced with financial shortages, men generally migrate to other areas where agricultural harvesting job is available or do rickshaw pulling in nearby cities. In extremely poor HHs, women also engage in public works like day laboring. When men of the HHs are away from home women have to run the family and ensure HH food security. During the lean period women in char area maintain all sorts of agricultural work. Women, in their desperation to feed their families, tend to diversify their livelihood in vegetables, goats, chickens and fuelwood. The poorest, most disadvantaged women of charlands informed that, their burden is doubled as they have to participate both in HH chores and income-generating activities. In both charlands and embankment, a large proportion of women’s time and labor goes into searching and gathering firewood and collecting crop residues for fuel and natural vegetation for livestock fodder. Such works are very laborious, time-consuming and dangerous for women and girls because of risk of being harassed, kidnapped or even raped. In spite of that, their work is mostly uncounted and unrecognized. The main livelihood sources are agricultural and livestock production and sale; daily labour and some small business and job in garments factories. Main agriculture includes mixed cereal crop, jute. In most of the embankments and mainland areas agriculture, livestock rearing, small business and day labour are considered as male’s jobs. But, in extremely vulnerable areas like in chars, both men and women participate in all sorts of livelihood-related work. This is their coping strategy against the extreme environmental and economic conditions. The increasing involvement of women in livelihood activities, perceived as men's domain, undoubtedly signifies the increasing mobility of women as they move out from their homesteads. 2.5. Education Following the gender segregated literacy rate (Figure 6), male literary rate is comparatively higher in both project sites than that of female, although the overall literary rate for Tangail-Kalihati site is slightly higher than Fulchari (BBS, 2012). vii Source: BBS, 2012 Figure 6 Gender segregated literary rate There is also a variation in enrolment between male and female. Although the enrolment rate is almost equal at the age of first schooling, this rate for female overtops the male at the primary and pre-secondary schooling. The secondary level enrolment then becomes a threshold, from which female enrolment starts gradual drop, and conversely, male enrolment increases (Figure 7). Source: BBS, 2012 Figure 7 Gender segregated enrolment The following table describes site-specific gender segregated enrolment rate by age rage. The variation in enrolment by gender as shown in the previous figure is true for both project sties. Table 8 Site specific gender segregated enrolment by age group Fulchari (%) Tangail-Kalihati (%) Age range Male Female Male Female 3-5 1.0 0.8 1.5 1.4 6-10 26.3 25.3 20.1 27.0 11-14 15.7 14.9 17.3 15.9 viii Fulchari (%) Tangail-Kalihati (%) Age range Male Female Male Female 15-19 9.0 4.8 9.2 4.8 20-24 1.6 0.2 1.9 0.7 25-29 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.1 Source: BBS, 2012 According to the field findings, the education rate is higher among the people of river erosion-prone areas. Due to the loss of land in river erosion, they tend to invest in children’s education which is considered as the best option for reviving their livelihood. Though girl’s education rate is higher up to SSC, a very sharp decline in girl’s participation in higher studies has been observed. The average age of girls to get married is 12 to 16 which reflects lower enrolment of female students. Parents prefer early marriage of daughters apprehending the socioeconomic insecurity and also the lack of knowledge against child marriage. 2.6. Women empowerment a) Ownership of land In the case of the right to land, both women and men enjoy land ownership in the project. Conventionally, Muslim families follow Muslim inheritance law while distributing land and other assets. Thus, a man receives twice than that of woman. However, there is a significant gap between convention and practice in the distribution of inherited land or asset. Thus, parents often prefer to distribute the majority share to a son while depriving a daughter, and the son often forces parents to do so. In many cases, the inherited land remains undistributed among children for a longer time, and if wish, a brother gives a very little amount of land or share a very insignificant amount of earning from the land to their sisters. Women, in fear of losing kinship ties, often overlook this improper distribution of land. The noticeable crisis emerges in the case of female-headed households, in which brother(s) ignores or denies land rights to sister-in-law in the case of the death of her husband. Although women can purchase land by her name, land is often registered for male members of families. The hindu families follow hindu inheritance law. According to the he Hindu Law of Inheritance (Amendment) Act, 1929, a daughter is fifth in line to her father’s property. In the absence of a son, son’s son, son’s son’s son and widows the daughter inherits the property from her father. b) Gender-based participation in public place While males enjoy open participation at public or social sphere, women have very limited space. The religious bindings play a vital role in shaping this limited participation level. Women are remained ‘invisible’ socially and culturally because of the embedded social structure and men are considered the bread earner of a household. Women’s earning is mostly considered as supplementary to the household income. Thus, the involvement in the economic sectors shapes the presence in the public sector. Since many women are involved in household work, which is private, women do not need to appear publicly. Against this overall feature, a considerable number of women are increasingly involved in the public sphere such as in petty business, local government election, and NGO based associations. A large of number of females of Char area are also increasingly moving outside e.g. in Dhaka city for working in the garment industry, which contributes to household income significantly. Thus, the male-dominated relationship pattern is turning down slowly and leaving space for females. This is noticeably found in educated families who are involved in the service sector. More importantly, Char dwellers and other vulnerable families are gradually investing in educating their children, which is anticipated to derive positive gender relationships. c) Gender-based decision-making role Women can express their opinion in families within which both men and women are involved in income- generating activities. But women’s opinion is hardly considered in important and critical issues like land, agriculture and livestock. Women can participate in decision-making process which is considered as less important. Women have certain skills and social capital of their own. But this capital varies based on their age, economic status, and marital status. Generally, women from well-off families, married and middle-aged women enjoy more freedom than poor and unmarried women. But some aged and married women living ix on the embankment in project sites informed that ‘they used to work hard in their young age and in traditional agricultural system men had to depend on women for seed preservation, crop processing’. During that time women had a certain level of control over household resource and was considered an important part of household’. On contrary, young and newly married women reported that ‘they used to enjoy more freedom than that of their mothers and grandmothers. For daily expenditure, their husbands give them money only when they have handsome income. The men only work outside of the home and do not participate in household works like cooking, cleaning or washing. As mentioned above, women are not allowed to go to the market for selling or buying products. If they want to do so, they need prior approval from their husbands or in-laws. When they go, it is to see a doctor and sometimes to tailor. d) Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Sexual Harassment (SEA/SH) Although the situation is changing, domestic violence is still prevalent all across Bangladesh including the project areas. All the participants of the focus groups discussions (both men and women), admitted that women are beaten frequently by their husbands if they do not perform or act as ‘expected’. This expectation comes from the gender roles such as performing household chores, serving food to the family member on time, taking care of children, helping the husband in agricultural activities, staying at home and limiting a woman’s mobility to household premises except when there is a health issue involving the children. In addition, if a woman questions her husband’s ability to feed the family or argue with him on a valid ground, this could be considered as unexpected behaviour, which generally results in domestic violence. Also, women are often beaten even during pregnancy by their husbands and the reasons are mostly associated with less income by the husbands, not getting the food served by their wives on time, the women asking for money and the basic needs from their husbands. While they are beaten, the perception is that women depend on men so men have right to beat them, and for the same reason, Women do not go to their UP members to request punishment of their spouses through local arbitration. The women say that very few women will raise voice unless they have a well-off paternal family. Thus, gender-based violence is a big issue in the bankline communities and Chars. The reflection can be found in the response to the question asked to women at Chars- ‘when do women feel safe or in what condition/environment do women feel safe,’ - they replied that women feel safe- when they are at home, even in the absence of their spouses and when they go out only with their husbands. x Annex 2: Legal and Institutional Environment for Safety of Women and Girls GOB Legal and Institutional Environment for Safety of Women and Girls The Constitution of Bangladesh (Article 28/2) recognizes that “women shall have equal rights with men in all spheres of the State and of public life”. The Constitution provides the basis of all laws that aims to end GBV by declaring the principle of equality and non-discrimination between men and women. The oldest legal instrument to deal with physical and sexual violence against women is the colonial era law 'The Penal Code 1860'. Though the penal code 1860 has the provision to deal severe form of physical violence against women e.g. rape, physical assault it falls short to deal other form of gender based violence and sexual harassment e.g. harassment without physical contact. In 2000 the government of Bangladesh enacted Nari O Shishu Nirjatan Daman Ain (Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000), targeting specifically criminalizing various forms of violence against women. In 2010 Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, was passed to address domestic violence. In 2009 the High Court Division issued a historic directive on sexual harassment for all workplaces and educational institutions. The Court provided a details guideline that aims to create awareness about sexual offence, consequence of sexual offences as well as role and responsibilities of the authorities. The guideline also provided a list of 'unacceptable behaviors’ and a comprehensive definition of sexual harassment. high court directive define sexual harassment as including: (a) unwelcome sexually determined behavior (whether directly or by implication) as physical contact and advances; (b) attempts or efforts to establish physical relation having sexual implication by abuse of administrative, authoritative or professional powers; (c) sexually colored verbal representation; (d) demand or request for sexual favors; (e) showing pornography; (f) making love proposal and exerting pressure or posing threats in case of refusal to love proposal; and (g) attempt to establish sexual relation by intimidation, deception or false assurance. Thus, the Government of Bangladesh has devised numerous policy instruments to prevent gender-based violence and sexual harassment. Several policy documents aim to provide equal opportunities for women and lay the path for more inclusive discrimination free societies. The 7th (2016-2020) five-year plan pertinently emphasized on violence against women and recognized the need of greater investment, capacity building and awareness. National Women Development Policy 2011 focuses on various aspect of the development of women along with the prevention of GBV. Couple of other policy instruments that aims to tackle GBVH are (i) National Action Plan on Violence Against Women (2013-2025) and (ii) Multi-Sectoral Programme on Violence against Women (MSPVAW).9 Bangladesh is also a party to the following international human rights treaties that guarantee freedom, equal rights, protection against violence against women, harassment, torture and basic human rights:  Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), 1948  The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), 1966  The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), 1966  The Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1989  The Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), 1979  The International Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT). By ratifying these conventions, the Government of Bangladesh has committed to guaranteeing equality to both men and women in all spheres of their lives as envisaged in its Constitution. So, GBV and SEA/SH issues are now largely covered by laws of the land. Therefore, the framework for GBV and SEA/SH actions proposed in this report is derived from relevant GOB laws and regulations as well the World Bank GPN on SEA/SH. 9 Website of Multi Sectoral Project; www.mspvaw.gov.bd xi Annex 3: Objectives and Methodology of Gender and SEASH Risk Assessment 1. Objectives The primary objectives of the SEA/SH plan in this section are to (i) identify potential GBV risks that could be posed by JRECDP; (ii) complement the environmental and social assessment (ESA) report with insights on GBV concerning inclusive development; and propose a SEA/SH mitigation action plan designed to address and mitigate all sorts of GBV SEA/SH risk posed by JRECDP. 2. Primary Data Collection This report is based on my field-level investigations and interviews of stakeholder, particularly women, in the Program reach in three districts Tangail, Sirajganj and Gaibandha). Primary methods used were focused group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs). Table below lists the details of the FGDs/KIIs held during the field visits. Interviews with local government officials were conducted via zooms. Table 9 Interviews (FGDs/KIIs) held during the field surveys Data Collection Method Sample Size KIIs with Government 4 KIIs with Local Government 4 FGDs- Female community members 6 FGDs- Male community members 4 Total 18 3. Methodology of Gender and SEASH Risk and Impact Assessment Once an impact is identified, it has been further evaluated on the basis of its degree of significance. The degree of significance of an impact is defined by a five-point Likert scale is assessed by its magnitude and sensitivity. Thus, an approach of qualitative quantification is followed to evaluate the impact. The details of the methodology for assessing magnitude, sensitivity and finally the significance are provided below. a. Assessing magnitude of an impact Table 10 has shown the magnitude of each identified impact is assessed on the basis of five parameters such as: i) duration of the impact (temporal aspect), ii) spatial extent of the potential impact, iii) reversibility of the impact, iv) likelihood of occurring and v) compliance to national and international standards. A scoring technique (Table 11) of qualitative quantification is adopted to assess the magnitude of an impact assessing these five parameters. A Likert scale is developed (Table 12) to assess degree of each parameter. The scale had a maximum score “4” which is labelled as “major” and minimum score “1” which is labelled as “minimal. A word scenario was also developed to guide quantification of each parameter. Once the assessment of each parameter is complete for an impact, a composite score for each impact is calculated summing scores of all five parameters. Depending on the composite score, the magnitude of the impact is assessed following the scale provided in Table 13. Table 10 Definition of the magnitude classes and parameters Qualitative Scale to Quantify the Parameter (corresponding score is in parenthesis) Parameter Certain (4) Likely (3) Occasional (2) Low (1) Duration of Long term Medium Term Limited to Temporary with no potential impact (More than 15 years) (5 to 15 years) construction detectable potential period impact Spatial extent of Widespread far Beyond immediate Within project Specific location within the potential beyond project AOI project AOI AOI project component or impact site boundaries with no detectable potential impact Reversibility of Potential impact is Potential impact Baseline returns Baseline remains potential effectively requires a year or naturally or with almost constant impacts permanent, requiring so for recovering limited considerable with some intervention xii intervention to interventions to within a few return to baseline return to baseline months Compliance to Breaches national Complies with Meets minimum Not applicable Legal Standards standards and or limits given in national standard before international national standards limits or Mitigation guidelines/ but breaches international Measures obligations international lender guidelines guidelines in one or more parameters Likelihood of Occurs under typical Occurs under worst Occurs under Unlikely to occur potential operating or case (negative abnormal, impacts construction impact) or best case exceptional or occurring conditions (positive impact) emergency (Certain) operating conditions conditions (Likely) (Occasional) Table 11 Scoring criteria for magnitude assessment Magnitude of Impact Composite score to define magnitude of an impact High (H) 16 – 20 Substantial (S) 11 – 15 Moderate (M) 6 – 10 Low (L) 0–5 b. Assessing sensitivity of a receptor The sensitivity of a receptor for each impact is assessed based on the capacity or features (including proximity/numbers/vulnerability etc.) of the receptors to handle or tackle an impact. A four-level qualitative scale defining the sensitivity as “low”, “moderate”, “substantial” and “high” is developed to assess the sensitivity. The definitions of the sensitivity classes are outlined in Table 12. In case of biodiversity risk assessment, the sensitivity has been defined following the ESS6 considering critical habitats or a species triggering CH criteria would have high sensitivity and the moderate habitat would have lower sensitivity. xiii Table 12 Definitions of the sensitivity classes Sensitivity Class Definition Vulnerable receptor with no capacity to absorb proposed changes or minimal opportunities for mitigation. High (H) Biodiversity Risk Assessment: If the receptor (species, or biodiversity feature or habitat) is triggering Critical Habitat Criteria Vulnerable receptor with little capacity to absorb proposed changes or limited opportunities for mitigation. Substantial (S) Biodiversity Risk Assessment: If the receptor (habitat) is categorized as natural habitat and provides supports to vulnerable species (EN and CR) Vulnerable receptor with some capacity to absorb proposed changes or moderate opportunities for mitigation Moderate (M) Natural or Mixed habitats with anthropogenic pressure and decreasing trend of habitats (or population) with biodiversity value Vulnerable receptor with good capacity to absorb proposed changes and/or good Low (L) opportunities for mitigation Mixed habitats with occurrence of no important species c. Assessing significance of an impact The significance of an impact was assessed by its magnitude and sensitivity. A cross-tabular matrix is developed to assess the magnitude qualitatively. The significance of an impact was evaluated following a five-level scale which is determined by a cross tabular matrix between magnitude and sensitivity. Table 13 Cross-tabular matrix for assessing significance of an impact Sensitivity of Receptors Magnitude of Impact High (H) Substantial (S) Moderate (M) Low (L) High (H) High (H) Substantial (S) Substantial (S) Moderate (M) Substantial (S) High (H) Substantial (S) Moderate (M) Low (L) Moderate (M) Substantial (S) Moderate (M) Moderate (M) Low (L) Low (L) Moderate (M) Low (L) Low (L) Low (L) 4. Mitigation Hierarchy The World Bank’s ESF recommended under ESS1 a mitigation hierarchy, which consists of four steps to manage an impact: (1) Avoidance is the most preferred form of mitigation where technical options are proposed to be adopted within the project design to completely avoid the impact. (2) Where avoidance is not possible, specific actions to minimize or reduce risks and impacts to acceptable level. (3) Once risks and impacts have been minimized or reduced, mitigate; and (4) Lastly, where avoidance, minimization, and mitigation are not adequate to manage the potential risks, significant residual impacts remain, compensate for or offset them, where technically and financially feasibility xiv Table 14 SEASH Risks Significance without Temporal Aspects Impact /Risk with Spatial Aspects Reversibility Potential Risk and Impacts Compliance Likelihood Magnitude Sensitivity mitigation Mitigation Labor Influx Demand for sex by migratory workers will increase SEASH 2 3 2 4 2 S M M L Sexual harassment within the labour camp and nearby community 2 3 2 4 4 S M M L Force and early marriage by construction workers 2 3 2 2 2 S M M L Displacement by Land Acquisition Land acquisition induced poverty may lead the sexual activities by the poor girls and women with project employees 4 1 3 3 2 S M M L Land acquisition induced poverty may increase the risk of child marriage and other SEASH due to displacement by land acquisition 4 1 3 3 3 S M M L Land acquisition induced poverty may lead abandonment by spouse and intimate partner violence 4 1 3 3 2 S M M L Presence of outsiders Increased demand of outsider (employees & visitors) may enhance the risk of SEASH 3 2 3 3 2 S M M L Harassment of the community women during taking bath in river by the project workers, officials and contractor 2 1 2 3 3 S M M L Community school or college girls may be harassed or sexually abused by the project workers 2 3 2 3 3 S M M L Presence of outsiders in the community and interaction with them may create stigmatization for women which may result in early 2 2 1 1 2 M M M L marriage for adolescent girls and intimate partner violence/divorce/abandonment for married women. Sexual Exploitation and Abuse/Sexual Harassment (SEA/SH) in Charland Women trafficking and rape may increase drastically due to low density of population and weak communication facility 3 3 3 4 2 S H S L Risk of SEA/SH at project related work Project workers may tempt the community women and girls to achieve a job in exchange of sexual activity 2 2 3 4 3 S M M L Salary discrimination among the female workers 2 2 2 4 3 S M M L COVID-19 Risk Increase of COVID-19 spreading risk in the women due to labor influx 3 3 2 3 3 S H S L Increase of COVID-19 spreading risk in the women due to visit of outsider 3 3 2 3 3 S H S L Increase of COVID-19 spreading risk in the project-related women staffs 3 2 2 3 3 S H S L xv Annex 4: A Preliminary Mapping of the Service Providers Figure 8 A Preliminary Mapping of the Service Providers xvi Annex 5: Project Grievance Mechanism to Address SEASH Complaints Note: The GRM is prepared using project-level GM Model 1 of GPN Figure 9 Project Grievance Mechanism to Address SEASH Complaints xvii Annex 6: SEASH Procedures and Response Protocol Figure 10 SEASH Procedures and Response Protocol xviii Annex 7: Code of Conduct (COC) to Prevent the SEA/SHA related risks A. INTRODUCTION The BWDB and BIWTA as implementation agencies (IAs) are committed to ensure a work environment which minimizes any negative impacts on the local communities, and its workers. The BWDB and BIWTA also strongly commits to create and maintain a safe working environment where Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) and Sexual Harassment (SH) have no place, and where these will not be tolerated by any employees of contractors, sub- contractor, supplier, supervising engineers, and other consultants or representative of the IAs. The purpose of this Code of Conduct is to: 1. Create a common understanding of what constitutes Sexual exploitation, and sexual abuse and sexual harassment 2. Create a shared commitment to standard behaviors and guidelines for the employees to prevent, report, and respond to SEA and SH 3. Create understanding that breach of this code of conduct will result in disciplinary action. Both BWDB and BIWTA will adhere to the following and may add during implementation any additional requirements to address identified issues. The types of issues identified could include risks associated with: labor influx, Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (SEA), sexual harassment (SH) in the workplace, etc. The IAs will advise the bidders and/or contractors to submit their own code of conduct form as part of bids for construction works. B. DEFINITIONS The various words and concepts use in the COC are defined below for the purpose of clarity. These will be further discussed during training and orientation sessions by the PIU with relevant stakeholders. Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA)10 : Any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another11. Sexual Abuse: The actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions12 Sexual Harassment:13 Any unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of sexual nature14. Consent: the choice behind a person’s voluntary decision to do something. Consent for any sexual activity must be freely given, ok to withdraw, made with as much knowledge as possible, and specific to the situation. If agreement is obtained using threats, lies, coercion, or exploitation of power imbalance, it is not consent. Under this Code of Conduct15 consent cannot be given by anyone under the age of 18, regardless of the age of majority or age of consent locally. Mistaken belief regarding the age of the child is not a defense. 10 As defined in the UN Secretary’s bulletin – Special Measures for protection from sexual exploitation and abuse October, 9, 2003 ST/SGB/2003/13 11 World Bank, Good practice note on Addressing Sexua Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment (SEA/SH) in Investment project financing involving major civil works, 2020. 12 UN Glossary on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse 2017, pg.). 13 Inter-Agency Standing Committee Protection against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA): Inter- agency cooperation in community based complaint mechanism. Global standard Operating Procedures. May 2016
 14 EFS Good Practice Note on GBV in Major Civil Works 15 UN Convention on the Rights of the Children Bangladesh xix There is no consent when agreement is obtained through (i) the use of threats, force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, manipulation, deception, or misrepresentation; (ii) the use of a threat to withhold a benefit to which the person is already entitled; and (iii) a promise is made to the person to provide a benefit. While all forms of violence against a community resident or a co-worker are forbidden, this code of conduct is particularly concerned with the prevention and reporting of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and sexual harassment which constitute gross misconduct, are grounds for termination or other consequences related to employment and employment status. C. EXAMPLES OF SEXUAL EXPOLITATION AND ABUSE The following constitute examples of sexual exploitation and violence. (i) Unwanted sexual comments, jokes, question, whistling, asking about sexual fantasies/ history to any member of the community. (ii) Sexually suggestive signals (facial expressions, winking, throwing kisses, or licking lips, making sexual gestures with hands or through body movements). (iii) Touching clothing, hair, or body, hugs, kiss, stroke or rub oneself sexually around any community member (iv) Unwanted pressure for dates (v) Any propose a woman in the community that he can get them jobs related to the work site (cooking and cleaning) in exchange for sex. (vi) Telling a woman applying for a job that he will only hire her if she has sex with him. (vii) Begin a friendship with a 17-year-old girl who walks to and from school on the road where project related work is taking place. He gives her rides to school. He tells her that he loves her. They have sex. (viii) Actual or attempt to rapes anyone D. EXAMPLES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN WORK PLACE (I) Male staff comment on female staffs’ appearances (both positive and negative) and sexual desirability. (II) Male staff make unwanted sexual comments, jokes, question, whistling, asking about sexual fantasies/ history to any female staff/ co-worker. (III) Male staff make sexually suggestive signals (facial expressions, winking, throwing kisses, or licking lips, making sexual gestures with hands or through body movements) towards a female staff. (IV) Male staff make unwanted pressure for dates. (V) A male staff touches a female staff members’ buttocks or any part of the body when he passes her at work. (VI) A male staff member tells a female staff member he will get her a raise if she sends him naked photographs of herself do a sexual favor. (VII) When a female staff complains about comments male staff are making about her appearance, they say she is “asking for it” because of how she dresses. E. STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT BY COMPANY AND/OR WORKER I, ______________________________, acknowledge that sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and sexual harassment, are prohibited. As an (employee/contractor) of (contracted agency /sub-contracted agency) in Bangladesh, I acknowledge that SEA and SH activities on the work site, the work site surroundings, at workers’ camps, or the surrounding community constitute a violation of this Code of Conduct. I further understand SEA and SH activities are grounds for sanctions, penalties or potential termination of employment. Prosecution of those who commit SEA and SH may be pursued if appropriate. I agree that while working on the project I will:  Treat all persons, including children (persons under the age of 18), with respect regardless of sex, race, color, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, xx gender identity, sexual orientation, property, disability, birth or other status.  Commit to creating an environment which prevents SEA and SH and promotes this code of conduct. In particular, I will seek to support the systems which maintain this environment.  Not participate in SEA and SH as defined by this Code of Conduct and as defined under (country) law (and other local law, where applicable).  Not use language or behavior towards women, children or men that is inappropriate, harassing, abusive, sexually provocative, demeaning or culturally inappropriate. 
  Not participate in sexual contact or activity with anyone below the age of 18. Mistaken belief regarding the age of a child is not a defense. Consent from the child is also not a defense. I will not participate in actions intended to build a relationship with a minor that will lead to sexual activity.  Not solicit/engage in sexual favors in exchange for anything as described above. Unless there is the full consent by all parties involved, recognizing that a child is unable to give consent and a child is anyone under the age of 18, I will not have sexual interactions with members of the surrounding communities. This includes relationships involving the withholding or promise of actual provision of benefit (monetary or non- monetary) to community members in exchange for sex—such sexual activity is considered “non-consensual” under this Code. I commit to adhere to the provisions of this code of conduct both on and off the project site, attend and actively partake in training courses related to preventing SEA and SH as requested by my employer. If I am aware of or suspect SEA and SH, at the project site or surrounding community, I understand that I am encouraged to report it to the Grievance Reporting Mechanism (GRM) or to my PIU. The safety, consent, and consequences for the person who has suffered the exploitation/ abuse/ harassment will be part of my consideration when reporting as per the SEA/SH Procedures and Response Protocol. I understand that I will be expected to maintain confidentiality on any matters related to the incident to protect the privacy and security of all those involved. Sanctions: I understand that if I breach this Individual Code of Conduct, my employer will take disciplinary action which could include: • Informal warning or formal warning • Additional training • Loss of salary • Suspension of employment (with or without payment of salary) • Termination of employment. • Report to the police or other authorities as warranted. I understand that it is my responsibility to adhere to this code of conduct. That I will avoid actions or behaviors that could be construed as SEA and SH. Any such actions will be a breach of this Individual Code of Conduct. I acknowledge that I have read the Individual Code of Conduct, do agree to comply with the standards contained in this document, and understand my roles and responsibilities to prevent and potentially report SEA and SHA issues. I understand that any action inconsistent with this Individual Code of Conduct or failure to act mandated by this Individual Code of Conduct may result in disciplinary action and may affect my ongoing employment. Signature: _________________________ Name: _________________________ Title: _________________________ Date: ________________________ xxi