A new Report by Gender Action and CEE Bankwatch Network exposes how European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and International Finance Corporation (IFC)-financed Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and IFC-funded Sakhalin II pipeline projects have led to a dramatic rise in prostitution, human trafficking, HIV/AIDS, and violence against women.  The report, titled "Boom-time Blues: Big Oil's Gender Impacts in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Sakhalin," challenges EBRD and IFC claims that they promote gender equality and combat HIV/AIDS.

Elaine Zuckerman, President of Gender Action, stated in a recent press release: "Both the EBRD and the IFC have turned a blind eye to the increased prostitution, human trafficking and HIV/AIDS that the BTC and Sakhalin II pipeline projects generate. Lacking gender policies, both institutions are ill-equipped to identify and address such tragic social outcomes of their investments. It is time for the EBRD and IFC to develop and implement binding gender safeguard policies."

CEE Bankwatch and Gender Action are following up with advocacy on the EBRD and the IFC.  Gender Action hopes to monitor other pipelines financed by public-supported development institutions in the future.

Boom-time Blues: Big Oil's Gender Impacts in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Sakhalin
A Report by Gender Action and CEE Bankwatch, September 2006
Based on research and analysis by Fidanka Bacheva, Manana Kochladze and Suzanna Dennis

http://www.genderaction.org/images/boomtimeblues.pdf

Gender Action - http://www.genderaction.org/

CEE Bankwatch Network - http://www.bankwatch.org./

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