10.04.2012Dr Riffat Haque

Women triple roles1. Reproductive: child bearing/rearing

& domestic tasks and maintenance of the labor force.

2. Productive: work which bring cash and subsistence/ home production, farm or wage work.

3. Community: community work which is an extension of their reproductive role. Which is voluntary & unpaid such as education, health, water. (men’s contribution has status, wages, and power)

Concepts of Gender analysis for planning 1. Practical gender needs: related with

women’s socially accepted roles. - Identified by women themselves & or

government- It does not challenge the gender division

of labor or women’s subordinate positions.

- PGN are related with immediate perceived necessity often concerned with inadequacies such as water, health care, employment, housing…

2. Strategic gender needs related with women’s subordinate position in the society.

- Related with particular social, cultural context & nature of woman and man relationship

- It can vary according to particular context i.e. related to gender division of labour, power and control__ legal rights, domestic violence, equal wages ...

- SGN changes existing roles, challenges women’s subordination, helps women to gain equality.

- Feminists concern for bottom up struggle- the ‘women’s real interests’.

THREE SCHOOL OF THOUGHT

WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT

WOMEN & DEVELOPMENT

GENDER &DEVELOPMENT

POLICY APPROACHES IN DEVELOPMENTSince 1950’s – shifts in policy approachesM. Buvinic (1980’s)-----Caroline Moser (1995)► WELFARE APPROACH►EQUITY APPROACH►ANTI-POVERTY APPROACH►EFFICIENCY APPROACH►EMPOWERMENT APPROACH

WELFARE APPROACH1950-1970 - Social Welfare continued from the colonizers.- Pre WID Approach- Accelerated economic growth/ModeranizationTo bring women in development so that they are better

mothers- the most important role of child rearing.To meet PGN of mothers reproductive role such as; food,

malnutrition, family planningWomen seen as passive beneficiaries.Short term- relief activity

WELFARE APPROACH continued…Colonization- Welfare concern of voluntary charities as govt concerned

with law and order+ trade and agriculture.Post independence- margenalized ministries of welfare & mostly

private relief agencies especially targeted vulnerable groups-women, disabled etc.

Two pronged approach a) Hard-edged: Financial aid for economic growth- targeting men. b) Soft-edged: Relief Aid- targeting women.

Non- challenging---widely popular in govt and NGO sector, UNICEF,UNHHCR

Top- down approach ( Food, MCH, population planning)Critique: Dev projects were negatively affecting women, Failure of

modernization theory.Resulted in UN 1975 International women’s year Conference- women

were put in development agendas

WID Women should be made part of

development.To improve women’s education,

employment, political representation, participation in social welfare.

Funds for women activities.WID offices in USAID etc offices.Modernization will have trickle down

effect in favor of poor and also women. And women’s families will also benefit.It did not touched the existing social

structuresIt emphasized women’s productive role

and ignored the reproductive role

EQUITY APPROACH

1976-1985 UN Women DecadeRecognition women are active participants in

development- so to gain EQUITY for women in the dev process by recognizing her triple roles.

SGN by involvement of state by giving political and economic autonomy to women thus challenged her subordinate position

Ministries and Bureau created.It was considered western feminist agenda and

not popular with govt’s.

EQUITY APPROACH Continued…In Third World WID approach of modernization

created inequalities because:a) Productive role not recognizedb) Women restricted to reproductive rolec) Application of western values.USAID projects emphasized to bring women into

national economies and dev: process.Women access to employment & market.By focusing on gender division of labor the equity

approach tried to meet SGN. The policies prepared top-down legislation but

adopted consultation and participatory approach

EQUITY APPROACH Continued…

Equity approach had methodological difficulties due to lack of:

Baseline data eco, social, politicalAmbiguity in indicatorsDev agencies hostile to the approach in

meeting both PGN & SGN. They found it difficult to tamper the traditions/cultural fabric of the local society.

1975 W Conference labeled WID as ethnocentric feminism

WADWomen are already part of development.

Dependency theory—that third world depends on the capitalist world--which is based on exploitation and inequality .

Women only projects initiated.To remove Inequalities existing structures need to be challenged

ANTI-POVERTY APPROACH1970’s onward. A toned down approach to increase the

productivity of poor women.Poverty of Woman was considered due to

underdevelopment and not subordination.Woman’s productive role recognized. To meet PGN to earn income- Small scale

projects.NGO income generating projects.

ANTI-POVERTY APPROACH continued

ILO –employment & income generation for women became a policy objective

World bank wanted to eradicate poverty and redistribution with growth. To meet basic needs (food, clothing, shelter..) and social needs (edu, health, human rights..)

It disturbed the balance of power in family and else where still men were in control.

Women were not introduced to new traits.The whole process was not participatory. The govts

were reluctant to share the resources. NGO depended on grants rather than loans from international agencies.

Financial benefits had not trickled down

GADHolistic approach on genderShifted focus from women to

genderRe-examine all social, political and

economic structures from gender perspective.

Redistribution of power relationsRe-conceptualize development

process taking gender and global inequalities

Transformative change-gender mainstreaming

GAD focuses on:Gender Division of LabourIntervention in women triple roleAccess to and control over resources

and benefits.Influencing factors such as; culture,

financial, religious, politcal…Condition and positions of men and

women in the society.Practical and Strategic interests of

women and men.Levels of participation.Gender analysis of the women’s

struggle/ movement

EFFICIENCY APPROACHPost 1980’s Deterioration in world economyPolicies of eco stabilization depend on

women’s eco contribution in devLow income women were targeted.Dev can be ensured more efficient and

effective if women participate equallyTo meet PGN –relying on women 3 rolesWomen’s working day was extendedIt was a popular approach with govt &

multilateral agencies

EFFICIENCY APPROACH CONTINUED…USAID, WB etc proposed that women eco participation

in dev will increase efficiency and equity together because we are wasting 50% human resources.

Lack of edu and under productive technologies were identified as constraints.

IMF & WB introduced structural adjustment policies to combat the eco down turn.

- By relocation of resources, exports, restoration of balance of payments.

SAP’s was a top down approach , did increase efficiency but exploited the women’s unpaid time- male bias.

SAP resulted in govts social expenditure which meant effecting women’s PGN, food subsidies, edu, health …

SAP were at the cost of women productive as well as reproductive role- elasticity in time allocated to diff activities --men won’t take unpaid domestic work

UNICEF highlighted how SAP has damaged women roles and dev as such

EMPOWERMENT APPROACH1975, 80’s onwardsTo improve women through greater self reliance To reach SGN in terms of triple roles-through

bottom up approach, mobilize around PGN as a means to confront oppression.

Un supported by state govtsGrowth of under financed voluntary

organizations.Western feminist agenda – colonial and neo-

colonial agenda.Though the whole idea of EA was derived from

third world feminist writing and their grassroots work experiences.

Empowerment does not mean power over others but self-reliance and internal strength of women

Equity had less emphasis but more on women’s status vs men Jayawardene argue that women subordination is with in the

family and due to race, class, colonial history & now IMF govt policies has aggravated it.

So women have to challenge multiple oppressive structures and situations at different levels

It is not necessary that PGN will lead to SGN.National liberation was emphasized and participatory

planning, NGO role, Institutional changes in legal codes, political mobilization, consciousness raising and education.

More over legal status of women in marriage, benefit rights, property rights. Employment, excess to credit and skill training. Gender and environment planning, housing and human settlement etc

Empowering ourselves through organization- Involving women from movements, networks, organizations alliances with an aim to empower women by rejecting bureaucratic structures in favour of non-hierarchical structures DAWN (Dev alternative with women for a new era) SEWA