Framework for Integrating Gender Equality and Social Inclusion in the Asian Development Bank’s South Asia Operations

Book excerpt: This gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) framework the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) operations in South Asia serves as a guide for effectively fulfilling GESI-related mandates as outlined in ADB’s Strategy 2030. Developed through an extensive 2-year consultative process from 2020 to 2022, the GESI framework highlights the various dimensions of exclusion and vulnerability, including their intersections with gender inequality and each another. By adopting an intersectionality lens, the GESI framework spotlights the diverse experiences of women and disadvantaged groups, recognizing that the impacts of gender inequality and social exclusion vary based on intersecting identities. The GESI framework promotes context-sensitive and integrated actions to advance GESI goals.