For a non-gender specialist writing on gender equity, I have to say upfront that I don’t dare pretend to know everything about gender dimensions of Conditional Cash Transfers or CCTs. However, I’d like to throw questions and may perhaps strengthen the gender equity impact of CCTs. 

Thankfully, the eventual impact of Cyclone Mahasen on South Asia was softer than feared before it struck land this past week. However, the storm still left dozens dead and caused the precautionary evacuation or subsequent displacement of one million persons living in coastal areas around the Bay of Bengal.  

Crises oblige policymakers to rethink development models. The 1929 financial crash led to a New Deal that radically altered the development model of the day.

‘Momentum 1000’ marked a major milestone on 5 April 2013—1000 days left of action before the target date to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

I participated in the South-South Learning on Conditional Cash Transfers workshop held at ADB Headquarters, 16-19 April 2013 that was organized in cooperation with Inter-American Development Bank.

Perhaps the saddest indication of discrimination against women and girls are the millions of baby girls who are simply not born every year due to pre natal sex selection. On the average, for every 100 baby girls born in the world, we should expect between 104 and 107 baby boys to be born. This is called Sex Ratio at Birth or SRB.

And so, our annual meeting has come to a close. When the final head count is in, we are pleasantly surprised that over 5,900 have registered, including over 500 civil society  and 400 media. That is a record and a sign that this is the premier  event for those who care deeply about the region. 

One of the most anticipated events is the Opening Session of the Board of Governors and this year does not disappoint. We are privileged to have the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister Chidambaram and the new ADB President Takehiko Nakao address the packed hall filled with almost 2000 delegates including governors.