Gender Blind Development, Mainstreaming & Equality.ppt

it describes issues related to gender blind development ignoring the role of women in developing countries

2. Gender Blind Development,
Gender Mainstreaming &
Equality
By
Muhammad Arshad
(Master’s in IRD, Lincoln University, New
Zealand)
Training & Coordination Officer, PARD
(January 04, 2012)

3. GENDER BLIND
Ignoringornon-recognitionoftheexistenceofgender
andgenderdifferences.
Notrecognisingthatmenandwomenare
POSITIONED differently,theyhavedifferent
EXPERIENCES, differentNEEDS, different
STRENGTHSandSKILLSandtheseneedtobe
consideredwhileplanningprojects.

4. GENDER AWARE
Recognisingorbeingawareoftheexistenceof
genderandgenderdifferencesinsociety;
recognisingthatmenandwomenare
POSITIONEDdifferently,theyhavedifferent
EXPERIENCES,differentNEEDS,different
STRENGTHSandSKILLSandtheseneedtobe
consideredwhileplanningprojects.
Howeverawarenessmaynotleadtoanyaction
towardsgenderequality.Wecanbeawareandyet
notact.

5. GENDER SENSITIVE
BeinggendersensitivemeansbeingAWAREPLUS
TAKING ACTION againstexistinggender
discriminationandinequalities.
Itmeanslookingattheworldthroughwomen’seyes
anddoingeverythingwithagenderperspectiveinorder
totransformgenderrelationsandmakethemmore
equalandjust.

6. Some Examples of Gender Blind
Development
Ruralfarmingwomenweredisplacedbyagriculture
technology.Theresultwasalossofincomeforthe
women,andalostopportunitytolearnanewskill
(sincetheassumptionwasthatwomencannotdeal
withtechnology).
AgaKhanEducationService(AKES)intheNorthern
Areasinvestedinfemaleschoolsbecausegovernment
schoolsforboysexistedinthearea.Theresultwas
becauseofbetterqualityofteaching;thegirlswho
graduatedfromthoseschoolshadamarkedlyhigh
standardofeducationcomparedtoboys.Oneofthe
undesirableoutcomeswasadifficultyinfinding
appropriatemarriageproposalsforthesegirls.

7. Contd…
Sindh’seducationpolicyforruralareasrequiresthatthelandforthe
schoolsbecontributedbythecommunity.Moreoftenthannot,those
whoareinapositiontodonatethelandarerelativelybetteroff,and
whoseoffspringsprobablygotoprivateschools.Thelandwhichis
donatedbythemisgenerallyisleastvaluable,andmostoften
locatedfarawayfromthevillageandthereforeinaccessibleand
unsafeforyounggirls.Suchschoolsconsequentlyhavelittleimpact
ontheincreaseinenrollment,andthereforefemaleliteracyrates,for
obviousreasons.
AriceresearchprojectinPunjabresultedinnewvarietiesthatwere
fastgrowingandearlyproducers.Plantbreedersdidnotexplore
otherusesofthericeplant.Thehusbandsweregiventheproceeds
fromthericecrop.Previously,womenhadmadeplacematsand
othercraftsfromthericehusksandstalk.Withthenewvarieties,
thisresidue–disregardedbytheresearchers–wasnolongeruseful
forcrafts,resultinginlessoff-seasonincomeforthewomeninthe
family.Whilethefamilymayhavehadmorericeandthehusbands
(orothermalehouseholdhead)mayhavehadmoreincome,net
familyincomewasnotnecessarilygreater,andwomen’sdirect
controloverherincomewasaffected.

8. Engendering Development Means
Recognizing….
Womenandmenoftenhavedifferentneeds
andprioritiesduetotheirdifferentstatusand
rolesinsociety
Developmentinterventionshavetobebased
onanunderstandingofgenderroles
Womenandtheirneedsandprioritieshaveto
begivenasmuchimportanceasthoseofmen
Onlythenishumane,justandsustainable
developmentpossible

9. What are Gender issues?
Invisibilityofeithergender
Unequalburdensofwork
Unequalaccesstoresources
Unequalbenefitsandorcontrolofresources

10. We Must Not Assume
Thateithergender(especiallywomen)will
automaticallybenefitfromaproposed
projectorprogram.Rather,itisconsciously
thinkingabouthowthiswillhappen.

11. What Needs to be Ensured While
Preparing Projects
Aretheneedsofbothwomenandmenreflectedin
thegoals,objectivesandstrategiesoftheProject?
Isthereaclearpolicyformainstreamingwomen?
Hasappropriatebudgetbeenallocatedforthe
developmentofbothmenandwomen?
Doestheprojectconsidermen’sandwomen’s
practicalandstrategicgenderneeds?

12. Some important points
◊Theobjectivesofprosperityanddevelopmentcouldnotbe
achievedwithouteducatingthewomenintheruralandurban
areas.
◊Womenshouldusetheirpotentialforaddressingandresolving
theproblemsoftheircommunityespeciallyintheareasof
education,healthandeconomy.
◊Weneedtoprovideasafeandconduciveclimateinwhich
womencouldfreelyexpresstheircreativecapabilitiesand
workforthebettermentofcountry

13. Government Initiatives
During the MTDF (2005 -10), the
Government focused on the following two
objectives using a rights-based approach
towards gender justice and equality.
-Steps towards meeting women’s basic minimum
needs, including, inter alia, nutrition through
enhanced food security measures, renewable
energy, basic and reproductive health care,
primary education and infrastructure, such as
housing, water, rural road and transport;
-Steps towards poverty reduction and economic
empowerment.

14. Other GoP Commitments
National Commitments
MTDF-Mid Term Development
Framework
(2005-10)
NPA-by Ministry of Women and
Development
September 1998
NPDEW-by Ministry of Women
And Development 2002
International Commitments
MDGs-Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs.2000)
CEDAW-in force on September 3, 1981
Pakistan ratified in 1996
Major Initiatives
GRAPs-National and Provincial
GRAPs (2004)
Decentralization Support Program
GSP_-Gender Support Programme
(2003-2008)

15. What is Gender Mainstreaming?
GenderMainstreamingisakeystrategytoreduceinequalities
betweenwomenandmen.
TheUnitedNationsdefinesitas:
“…theprocessofassessingtheimplicationsforwomenandmen
ofanyplannedaction,includinglegislation,policies,or
programmes,inallareasandatalllevels.Itisastrategyfor
makingwomen’saswellasmen’sconcernsandexperiencesa
dimensionofthedesign,implementation,monitoringand
evaluationofpoliciesandprogrammesinallpolitical,economic,
andsocietalspheressothatwomenandmenbenefitequally
andinequalityisnotperpetuated”.
Source:
The Economic & Social Council Report for 1997, UN, 1997

16. Gender Mainstreaming in Policies,
Programs and Projects
Policies,programsandprojectsimpact
differentlyonwomenandmendueto
theirgenderbasedrolesandlife
situations. Developing institutional
capacityforgendermainstreamingthus
requiresthattheneedsofbothwomen
andmenarereflectedfrombeginningto
endofthepolicy,programsandprojects.

17. Gender Equity
Genderequityisconcernedwiththe
promotionofpersonal,social,cultural,
political,andeconomicequalityforall.The
termemerged outofagrowing
recognitioninsocietyofpervasivegender
inequalities.
Intheshortterm,genderemphasisinthe
genderequityinitiativesispacedon
improvingconditionsandattitudesasthey
affectgirlsandwomen.Inthelongterm
theseinitiativeswillalsoimprovethe
situationforboysandmen.

18. Gender Equality –The Goal
Not equal numbers….
But equal recognition and status
Gender equality does not simply mean equal
numbers of men and women or boys and girls
participating in all activities. It means that
men and women enjoy equal recognition and
status within a society.
Not to make them the same……
But to highlight and value similarities and
differences.
It does not mean that men and women are
the same, but that their similarities and
differences are recognized and equally valued.
It means that women and men experience
equal conditions for realizing their full human
potential, have the opportunity to participate,
contribute to, and benefit equally from
national, political, economic, social and
cultural development.
Not to provide equal inputs….
But to ensure equal outcomes
Most importantly, gender equality means
equal outcomes for men and women. Gender
equality is both a critical human rights issue
and an essential requirement for equitable,
efficient, effective and sustainable
development.

19. Practical and Strategic Gender Needs
To encourage women’s participation in
development, it is useful to identify two types of
needs –practical and strategic gender needs.
Practical Gender Needs: those activities
designed to improve women’s “condition” through
greater provision of their basic needs, such as
food, clothing, water, housing, transport etc. The
prime objective is to support women in their
current roles.

20. StrategicGenderNeeds:thoseactivities
designedtoimprovethe“positionor
status”ofwomeninthecommunityorin
thecountry.Suchactivitiesinclude
greaterincome-earningopportunitiesto
enhancetheirindependence andgive
themawiderrangeofchoices,improved
educationandtrainingopportunities,
leadership training,eliminationof
discriminarylawsandcustoms,etc.