3rd Mekong Forum on Water, Food & Energy 2013. Presentation from Session 8: What we have learned over the last year about balancing the gender scales in hydropower development.

1. The National University of Laos
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Lao PDR Electricité du Laos
PDR Dept. of Environmental Management
Vietnam National University of Science, Faculty of Environmental Sciences
Knowledge and Institutional Systems in the Management and
Coordination of Hydropower Social Safeguards:
Hydropower Development in Attapeu Province, Laos PDR.
A research and workshop program conducted to
The CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food

2. Women in the process of
Hydropower Development project
in Attapeu and Sekong provinces

3. “My wife does nothing”
• I: what does your wife do in her daily routine?
•
R: My wife-? Noting, she just looks after my parents, look after children,
preparing food, fetching water, collecting vegetable, fishing small fish
from river, and preparing food, and just do something here and there, like
cleaning house, feeding chicken and duck. That’s all nothing important.
• I: How about you, what do you do ?
• R: Many things, cutting woods , repairing and
constructing house when needed, fishing, hunting …”

4. Background of the Project
The aim of the project are:
1.
2.
3.
Strengthening the knowledge of stakeholder agencies including affected
people
Understanding the existing livelihoods system, of affected ethnic
minorities, including culture
Understanding knowledge of stakeholder
The project method ology is the combination of workshop and research
Research : 11 villages impacted by three hydropower project
form a power system to
supply of electricity to Vietnam:
- the Transmission Line from Attapeu to Pleiku in Vietam
- two of six dams contruct to supply power to the line the Xekhaman 1 in
attapeu and Sekong 3 in Sekong district .

5. Research Methodology
•
•
Combination of method / Mix and variety of method
Improved Methodology as a Project Outcome
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Socio-economic Household that and KARE surveysurvey (38 households
Group discussion / different type of groups
Individual in-depth interview key persons ( local people and safeguard agencies)
Participatory Mapping Agro-ecology Profile
Making the cultural agricultural calendar
Forum for sharing the idea with local people
Case studies of selected communities
Purpose : to test and identify the relevant methodology which could be used by stakeholder
agencies to determine the basis of livelihoods restoration in hydropower development
affecting indigenous peoples and to

6. Livelihoods
Tritely attached to the culture and believe
Understanding livelihoods system

7. The inappropriate approach of
communication and consultation
SIA

8. Factors influencing the participation of women in
hydropower development process
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The level of education
Lack of ability in speaking and understanding Lao language
Inappropriate approach and mechanism in consultation
Culture and tradition, and division of labor in household and
in society
Limited chance to interact with outsider, make women lack
of confidence
The inadequate “SIA as AHIA” which could not ground the
complex reality of communities
The traditional culture related to women role and the
change of their environmental natural resources make
women m
Perception on the role of women in society (domestic
economic and socio-politic

9. The perception on the status of Women status in the
community
Name of Villages
Hardxanh
Namxuan
Phouyang
Phoukeua
Somboun
Hindam ( R)
Donkaen ( R)
Navasaene North
Navasaene Jatsane ( R)
Navakang (R)
Navasaene South
Higher
Level
Same
Lower
Total
7.89%
42.11%
50.00%
100.00%
9.09%
31.82%
59.09%
100.00%
25.00%
25.00%
50.00%
100.00%
16.67%
44.44%
38.89%
100.00%
20.24%
28.57%
51.19%
100.00%
9.38%
25.00%
65.63%
100.00%
0.00%
22.22%
77.78%
100.00%
0.00%
70.59%
29.41%
100.00%
13.79%
55.17%
31.03%
100.00%
8.70%
56.52%
34.78%
100.00%
5.00%
55.00%
40.00%
100.00%

10. Issues to be answered ???
How to get
women in
development
and
consultation
process?

11. Thank You
For your attention