<html> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)"> <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> Dear Friends,   This is to point you to a project and a discussion which I believe may interest all of you, and to which some of you may chose to contribute. Let me explain briefly.   World Bank’s Transport Strategy – Public Review: The project is the open review of an about to appear report by the World Bank’s Transport Strategy. Here is what the Bank has to say about this process:   In May 2005, the World Bank’s Transport Sector Board decided that there was a need to consider whether some realignment of its work in the transport sector is necessary to reflect trends in development, and in development thinking, over the last few years. As a result, the Bank is planning to publish a document that will update our Transport Strategy. It is to be finalized in 2006 and to cover the period 2007-2015. The purpose of the update will be to articulate how the Bank’s approach to transport and development is evolving; to identify planned adjustments to priorities and approach; and to explain these to our development partners and other stakeholders in the Bank’s work. We are pleased to share this consultative draft of the emerging document (PDF 321 KB). Please note that this a working draft and contains some gaps. Not only will we take account of external consultations but we will be analyzing inputs from other groups within the Bank and, in due course, establishing the benchmarks and targets for agreed priorities. The Transport Sector Board would very much welcome external contributions from those with an interest in transport and development either through comment directed specifically at Document, or views about the Bank’s role in the transport sector more broadly. We would be grateful to receive any contribution that you may wish to make by April 30th, 2006. Gender/Equity Review:  As part of this review process, the Bank has asked the open Gatnet group -- The Gender, Equity and Transport Forum – for comments, suggestions and amendments. Gatnet works more or less along similar lines to ours here. It describes itself in these terms: This is the discussion group of a community of practice that began with a program on mainstreaming Gender into the World Bank's Transport Sector. It is open to all those who are interested in issues relating to improving mobility and access for poor women and men in developing countries.   We are participating in this program, and have built a front-end for it that you will find at <a href="http://www.gatnet.net/">http://www.gatnet.net/</a>, where I am sure you will find your way around quickly.   Bank Report: You will find the full version of the report if you click to Gatnet Resources on the left hand menu.   Discussions thus far: These are lodged under the Dgroups Idea Factory. For now they are rather awkwardly spread out under the Message rubric, but you will spot them by their subject lines.   As some of you may well guess, my own approach to this important task is a bit different from that of some of my gender specialist colleagues.  My position is first of all that the Bank will resist any major redrafting of the whole report, and that we will do better to concentrate our fire on a handful of key places in the report which can be refashioned to bring these issues into higher profile. (The draft as you will say makes one reference to the word gender and presses all references to women and girls into a single small para.  So as you can see there is some way to go.)   Your participation? I invite all of you will give this a look in, and hope that some of you might wish to pitch in once you have had a chance to catch up on all the various discussions and points made thus far. Perhaps as you read through the various communications you will note that this forum – all most all of whose participants are female – works a bit differently from our – and this is to our discredit!!! – largely male dominated (is that really the right word here?) group. For me as a life time activist for women’s causes, this is a real learning experience. At times I feel like a big dog running around in a refined situation. I am trying to learn and adapt, but it may be a bit too late ;-)   I am sure that you too will learn a lot if you take the time to work your way through this. And who knows, you may have some ideas and hints for us?   Best on a sunny Paris morning of Spring,   Eric Britton       </div> </body> </html>