PROJECT SOCIAL GENDER ACTION AND SAFEGUARD POLICY
General:
The Affordable Green Housing and Resilient Urban Renewal Sector Project (AHURP) is categorized an effective gender mainstreaming project that aims to contribute in closing the gender gap in urban development sector.
Social and gender experts are responsible for ensuring that all project stakeholders are well-informed about social safeguard and aware of gender aspects, and are capable to apply these concepts in their work.
The project aligns with the Master Plan of Ulaanbaatar city and the development trend until 2030, with a specific focus on expanding the rental housing stock in a safe and pollution-free environment from a social and gender perspective. Additionally, the project aims to provide low- and middle-income households with housing options.
Social safeguard considerations in the voluntary land-swapping and resettlement process:
As per the voluntary land-swapping plan of the project, households will have the opportunity to choose whether to participate in the project or not. The project is solely based on the voluntary land-swapping mechanism and implemented through a demand-driven approach. Once households express their interests in participating in the project, we are committed to take all necessary action to ensure that the interested households participate in the project regardless of their land and asset ownership status, level of their income and family situation with a special considerations to the vulnerable households such as non-titled, low income and single headed households as per the ADB Safguard Policy Statement. The project will not carry out involuntary resettlement within the project perimeter and it implies the project respecting the decisions of residents who choose not to move out from their current home or living environment due to any reasons. For instance, some residents may perceive living in an Eco-District is not providing significant physical or intangible benefits compared to staying in their current location. Thus, voluntary participation is strongly encouraged."
Requirements for participating in the project for households with different situations:
In the majority of cases, households express a strong interest in participating in the project. However, there are households who are eager to participate but do not possess land or real estate for swapping which raises the question of how they can be part of the project. It is primarily an ADB loan project, and the Eco-District development cost is impacted by unforeseen circumstances such as Covid-19, inflated prices of construction materials, border restrictions with China, and other force majeure factors. However, the non-titled households and the above-mentioned vulnerable households that are affected by the project will be offered rental housing in the Eco-Districts developed in the sub-centers. Additionally, continuous efforts will be made at the policy level to support the supply and availability of social housing.
The project has a provision that rental cost for the social housing made available by the project, shall not exceed 25 % of the household income. Nevertheless, in order to enhance the livelihoods of households within the target group that cannot afford social housing, the project has foreseen to implement various activities such as job offers created during the project implementation, skills training initiatives, and greenhouse farming opportunities within the Eco-Districts."
Participatory Planning:
STEP 1
The project team will conduct a comprehensive consultation with the residents by introducing the project and informing them about voluntary land and asset swapping process.
STEP 2
A Willingness to participate survey will be conducted to gauge residents' interest in participating in the project at least two weeks after the community consultation with the residents. Once the project team has addressed all residents' inquiries and ensured their understanding, residents will be asked to complete a survey questionnaire. (The project site will be confirmed when the residents on a minimum area of 3 ha collectively confirm their willingness to participate so that the eco-district will be efficiently and effectively planned.)
STEP 3
If there is sufficient resident interest, a detailed socio-economic survey will be conducted to gather information pertaining to the social, economic, environmental, and gender status of residents. The Eco-District engineering design will then be undertaken, incorporating the suggestions and needs expressed by residents during the survey. This comprehensive planning will entail creation of a desirable living environment within the Eco-District through an active community engagement.
STEP 4
Subsequently, detailed measurement of land and assets of the residents followed by land and asset valuation will be undertaken. (An independent appraiser will determine the land price and carry out the valuation and the project team will not have any interference over the appraisal process and outcomes.)
STEP 5
Based on the land and asset valuation, residents entering into the voluntary land swapping will sign a voluntary land-swapping agreement with the Municipality of Ulaanbaatar and the Project Management Office.
SOCIAL AND GENDER ACTION PLAN
The Social and Gender Action Plan is a mandatory document for this project. The plan includes various activities aimed at accommodating different needs of household members who have expressed their interest in participating in the project, and at supporting livelihoods and employment opportunities, and incorporating input from residents at all stages of Eco-District planning, and promoting women's property ownership rights. The project is committed to implement this Social Gender Action Plan in order to create a comfortable and safe living environment that is gender-sensitive and inclusive for all while offering access to the essential services in close proximity.
The activities outlined in the plan are categorized as follows:
Livelihood Support:
Employment and Skills Training:
30-40% of the new jobs created, which are related to the construction, operation, and maintenance of the project, will be filled by women. The project will include the principle of "equal pay for the same job regardless of gender" in all contracts with developers or construction companies, ensuring that there is no gender-based wage gap from the outset. Residents who do not have experience or skills in construction or maintenance but are interested in participating in the jobs created by the project and seek livelihood support will receive training and Recognition of their skills through demand based assessment. Furthermore, activities will be conducted to enhance the skills of residents who are starting small businesses and start ups and provide guidance on conducting gender-sensitive and inclusive activities. The opening of new business opportunities in the project's commercial facilities is expected to create employment prospects for women in the area.
The project will establish a monitoring team consisting of representatives from different groups with diverse needs, including the elderly, households with young children, women, people with disabilities, and the youth. This team will receive training monitoring skills, and preparations are underway to ensure their involvement in monitoring the implementation of Eco-District development according to the plan, with active resident participation.
Greenhouse:
The project includes the establishment of greenhouses in Eco-Districts to provide additional income opportunities for households in the target group who need support for their livelihoods, as well as to strengthen neighborhood relations among residents. The Governor's Office of the Capital City and professional organizations will provide step-by-step training for households without prior experience in vegetable cultivation. The greenhouses can be utilized for various purposes, such as growing delicate vegetables, flowers, seedlings, and propagating trees, and the activities will be organized based on the interests of the residents. The greenhouse farming will be carried out through cooperatives, aiming for households to sell the produce and improve their livelihoods rather than solely using it for personal consumption. However, the specific operations of the greenhouse will be determined based on the highest needs expressed by the residents. By involving residents in decision-making at all stages of the project, this approach ensures their active participation and engagement.
Information campaign and training:
Surveys conducted in the project areas have revealed that only 10% of land and asset owners are women. This is often due to the prevailing concept of the head of the family and the traditional practice of passing property down through male family members. Such practices limit women's access to financial services, including business loans, property ownership, protecting themselves and their children from future risks, and addressing potential homelessness resulting from divorce.
While targeting adult women participating in the project, this campaign will also focus on engaging stakeholders such as heads of households, parents with daughters, and experts responsible for asset registration in the Songinokhairkhan and Bayanzurkh districts.
The project will provide training to promote the adoption of environmentally friendly behaviors and technologies in daily life, including waste segregation, grey water reuse, and energy saving at home.
Housing supply in the eco-district:
As previously mentioned, the project aims to provide housing solutions tailored to the social and economic conditions of each household. This will be achieved through land and asset swapping agreements and affordable rent-to-own scheme. However, the project documents have confirmed that households interested in participating but lacking land or real estate for swapping, as well as those belonging to target groups such as individuals with very low income and single women as heads of households, will be included in the project. Special measures will be taken to accommodate their needs and ensure their inclusion.
Financial intermediation:
The project team will conduct a survey and evaluation of the banks' financial products available for apartment purchase, specifically focusing on loan services accessible to individuals with very low income and women. This assessment aims to identify ways to enhance the accessibility of these financial products. Moreover, the project commits to allocating 40 percent of all housing loans to women for the purpose of purchasing project homes.