Why does Gender Matter in Development?

1

• Why does Gender Matter in Development?

Module B
2
Review of the BIG IDEAS from previous sections.
3
Learning Objectives

• Understand how gender plays a role in
  development.
• Identify concept of power as related to gender
  equality/inequality.
• Identify examples of long term and immediate
  gender needs.

4
Major International Efforts

• The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
  Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), was adopted
  in 1979 by the UN General Assembly. CEDAW defines
  what constitutes discrimination against women and
  sets up an agenda for national action to end such
  discrimination.
• Millennium Development Goal 3 Promote Gender
  Equity and Empower Women.

5
Gender Equality in Development

• Gender equality means that women and men have
  equal conditions for realizing their full
  potential.
• Countries that invest in gender equality gain
  social and economic advantages.
• Lack of gender equality has created a
  feminization of poverty.

Women make up 70 of the worlds poor.
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Addressing Power and Gender Inequality

• Gender inequality often arises out of an
  imbalance of power between women and men.
• A focus on this power imbalance is vital in
  development.
• Consider how men and women can distinctly
  participate in and benefit from project resources
  and activities.
• Consider how men and women distinctly influence
  project outcomes.

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Assessing Needs

• Immediate Gender Needs
• Versus
• Long-term Transformational Goals

8
Immediate Gender Needs

• Between 34 and 88 percent of men interviewed in a
  
• multi-country survey say that they are frequently
• stressed or depressed because of not having
• enough work or income. This stress was a key
  factor
• associated with perpetuation of violence and
  other
• negative effects.

• Addressing immediate gender needs responds to an
  immediate, perceived necessity. These needs often
  arise out of womens subordinate position in
  society.
• Examples of these needs are
• Water
• Shelter
• Food
• Income
• Health care

In many regions, women spend up to 5 hours a day
collecting fuelwood and water and up to 4 hours
a day preparing food.
70 of women of reproductive age in Nepal are
anemic and malnourished. (source Worldbank)

• Women own 1 of the world's
• resources and earn one-tenth
• of the world's income.

Source ILO
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Long term Transformational Goals

• Identifying and working towards long term
  transformational goals promotes gender equality
  and can change gender roles.
• Examples of long term transformational goals are
• Gaining legal rights
• Closing wage gaps
• Protection from domestic violence
• Increased decision-making
• Access to credit

Source ILO
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• Many of the Asia Foundations programs target
  long-term transformational goals and seek to
  address immediate needs.

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Questions for Discussion

• Identify 2 or 3 areas of gender
  equality/inequality in Wonderland.
• How have unequal power relations in Wonderland
  affected mens and womens roles in conflict and
  after conflict?
• What are 2 or 3 immediate needs and long-term
  transformational goals of project stakeholders in
  this case study?

12
What are the BIG IDEAS from this section?