Gender and Development

HEALTH SHD

WID/GAD

Gender and Development

Sue Ellen M. Charlton, Ph.D. Professor of Political Science Colorado State University secharlton@vines.colostate.edu

Gender and Development

What is the connection?Why is it important?

Equal Rights for Women

Development Processes CriticizedEconomists, governments and

international organizations (IOs) defined development primarily in terms of traditional measures, such as increased Gross National Product (GNP) and the degree of industrialization.

“Women in Development”

The convergence ofWomen’s issues and Development problemsled to the growth of the“Women in Development” (WID) field of study and policy advocacy.

WID advocates sought change:

WID advocates sought to change development practices by pushing governments and international organizations to:

include women in development projects respond to specific concerns and problems

of women,

United Nations Development Decades -

The FIRST U.N. Development Decade (1961-70)

The SECOND U.N. Development

Decade (1971-1980)

Policy Changes

Meanwhile changes in policy came from national governments including Sweden and the United States.

Widespread Acceptance

IWY and Decade UN Conferences on Women

Lucille Mair, Secretary-General of the 1980 Copenhagen conference summarized the growth of WID:

“Women in Development”: Decade Catchphrase

Contributions of WID Approaches

Critique and Limits of WID

The mobilization of women as scholars, policy-makers, activists and practitioners of development led to criticisms of the WID policies of the 1970s.

The limits of the WID approach were emphasized.

Emergence of GAD Approaches

Criticism of the limits of WID led to new ways of thinking about development in the 1980s and 1990s. The theories and policies that emerged from this rethinking became known as “Gender and Development” (GAD).

Empowerment

“Empowerment” is a relatively new term for the long-standing recognition that women and disadvantaged men must be organized to make a difference in the structures of power that confine them to secondary status.

Empowerment from the Local tothe Global Levels

NGOs

National Governments

Women’s Commissions

Gender Empowerment Measure

Power over economic resourcesParticipation in economic

decision makingAccess to political opportunities

International Organizations

Responded to pressures from NGOs

Major International Conferences

Rio Conference 1992Vienna Conference 1993Cairo Conference 1994Beijing Conference 1995

Beijing + 5

Reaffirm commitment