Gender and Development

1. Gender and Development Women�s Political Empowerment as a Strategy to Fight Global Poverty Nusrat Choudhury

2. Gender Policy Network The Gender Policy Network is composed of practitioners and Princeton University students, faculty, and alumni whose field experiences, research and careers have convinced them of the salience of gender as a critical variable in the design, evaluation and implementation of local and global policies. www.wws.princeton.edu/~gender Before coming to graduate school, I worked for four years with the Women�s Prison Association & Home and Spence-Chapin Services to Children and Families, two non-profit social service and advocacy organizations working with poor women and kids in NYC. My daily work looked domestic social, criminal, and child welfare policy through the lens of gender. So, when I returned to graduate to broaden my policy focus to include social policy on an international scale, it was obvious to me to look at what was happening to poor women and children in developing countries through the lens of gender. I also happened to be part of the group of activists who got the network on its feet.Before coming to graduate school, I worked for four years with the Women�s Prison Association & Home and Spence-Chapin Services to Children and Families, two non-profit social service and advocacy organizations working with poor women and kids in NYC. My daily work looked domestic social, criminal, and child welfare policy through the lens of gender. So, when I returned to graduate to broaden my policy focus to include social policy on an international scale, it was obvious to me to look at what was happening to poor women and children in developing countries through the lens of gender. I also happened to be part of the group of activists who got the network on its feet.

3. Globalization and Poverty �Proceeding at breakneck speed but without map or compass, globalization has helped reduce poverty in some of the largest and strongest economies � China, India, and some of the Asian tigers. But it has also produced losers among and within countries.�. [T]he greatest benefits of globalization have been garnered by a fortunate few.� UNDP, Human Development Report 1997 Globalization and Poverty are profoundly linked in two major ways.Globalization and Poverty are profoundly linked in two major ways.

4. Globalization and PovertyTwo Links Globalization, the growing integration of economies and societies around the world, profoundly affects people�s experience of poverty, increasing it in some instances and decreasing it in others. The worldwide effort to fight poverty and the system of international development in which it is embedded are key components of globalization as well.

5. Why use gender-basedstrategies to fight poverty? The majority of the poor are women. Programs to reduce poverty without acknowledging gender often fail to help women or increase their inequality in relation to men. Tackling gender subordination helps to fight poverty. Improving women�s autonomy, education, and health helps them escape poverty. Challenging gender subordination is necessary to help women attain their true capabilities and potential � the true goal of development. In communities where property ownership is monopolized by men, programs to transfer assets to the poor may help only men, exacerbating gender inequality. In communities where property ownership is monopolized by men, programs to transfer assets to the poor may help only men, exacerbating gender inequality.

6. Why promote women�spolitical voice to attach poverty? Reserving political positions for women makes public policy more receptive to women�s needs. Raghabendra Chattopadhyay and Esther Duflo, Women as Policy Makers: Evidence from a Randomized Policy Experiment in India, 2001 This is a somewhat controversial concept in the United States where feminists and others debate where the sameness/difference debate dominates. But a look at Duflo and Chattopadhyay�s empirical study warrants attention.This is a somewhat controversial concept in the United States where feminists and others debate where the sameness/difference debate dominates. But a look at Duflo and Chattopadhyay�s empirical study warrants attention.

7. Female Leaders Increase Women�s Involvement in local affairs. When the Pradhan is a woman, the percentage of women who participate in the Gram Samad (semiannual village council) is significantly higher. When a woman serves as Pradhan through a reservation, women in her village are twice as likely to have brought their complaints to the local council in the last six months. Raghabendra Chattopadhyay and Esther Duflo, Women as Policy Makers: Evidence from a Randomized Policy Experiement in India, 2001 This finding was statistically robust and accounted for the fact that women leaders were less educated, poorer, etc. That is, the study found that women in the village participated more in their local councils because their village leader was a woman who won her position through a reservation.This finding was statistically robust and accounted for the fact that women leaders were less educated, poorer, etc. That is, the study found that women in the village participated more in their local councils because their village leader was a woman who won her position through a reservation.

8. Women Leaders Act Differently Women elected under the reservation policy� invest more in public goods more closely linked with women�s concerns West Bengal: drinking water and roads Rajasthan: drinking water and welfare invest less in public goods more closely linked with men�s concerns West Bengal: education Rajasthan: roads Raghabendra Chattopadhyay and Esther Duflo, Women as Policy Makers: Evidence from a Randomized Policy Experiement in India, 2001

9. If women in politics are keyto engendering development,We Have A Problem. Women are vastly underrepresented in national and local assemblies. In no developing region do women hold more than 8% of ministerial positions. Unequal rights and poverty limit women�s abilities to influence decisions in their communities and at the national level. If having women as policymakers are key, particularly when they are making development policy, we need to promote women�s political empowerment.If having women as policymakers are key, particularly when they are making development policy, we need to promote women�s political empowerment.

10. Gender Equality Has Increased Over Timein Low and Middle Income Countries:Except in Political Participation If placing women in political power has beneficial effects on service delivery and responsiveness of development to women�s needs, we are in trouble � women�s political participation is abysmally low. We are far away from achieving any kind of equality of political participation. If countries in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa were to increase gender equality to the level of the most equal country in their respective regions, the ration of men to women in parliament would more than double in the Middle East and North Africa, and increase by more than 60% in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Establish incentives that discourage gender discrimination in political participation.If placing women in political power has beneficial effects on service delivery and responsiveness of development to women�s needs, we are in trouble � women�s political participation is abysmally low. We are far away from achieving any kind of equality of political participation. If countries in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa were to increase gender equality to the level of the most equal country in their respective regions, the ration of men to women in parliament would more than double in the Middle East and North Africa, and increase by more than 60% in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Establish incentives that discourage gender discrimination in political participation.

11. The Hunger Project South Asia Initiative: Promoting Women�s Political Empowermentas the Key to Ending Hunger Women in Panchayati Raj:Change Agents for a New Future for India Grassroots Women Animators:Change Agents for a New Bangladesh As a Case Study, I think that looking at the Hunger Project is absolutely fascinating. The Hunger Project is a large, multinational humanitarian/development organization whose goal is to end world hunger. In 2000, they launched a campaign to fight hunger in South Asia that is completely premised on the notion that putting women in politics, making them forces in the government and in their communities will Fight gender oppression Empower them reinforce their dignity AND, END HUNGER Gender-based strategy for achieving a dual goal � to empower women and to fight poverty. Gender-based strategy to achieve a gender-neutral goal. But, by understanding the problem of poverty through the lens of gender, the Hunger Project has concluded that it must take gender into account in a big way.As a Case Study, I think that looking at the Hunger Project is absolutely fascinating. The Hunger Project is a large, multinational humanitarian/development organization whose goal is to end world hunger. In 2000, they launched a campaign to fight hunger in South Asia that is completely premised on the notion that putting women in politics, making them forces in the government and in their communities will Fight gender oppression Empower them reinforce their dignity AND, END HUNGER Gender-based strategy for achieving a dual goal � to empower women and to fight poverty. Gender-based strategy to achieve a gender-neutral goal. But, by understanding the problem of poverty through the lens of gender, the Hunger Project has concluded that it must take gender into account in a big way.

12. The Problem:Malnourishment in Bangladesh �Despite massive infusions of funding by international donors and the dedicated efforts of NGOs, the people of Bangladesh continue to suffer some of the highest child malnutrition rates in the world, almost twice as high as sub-Saharan Africa.� The Hunger Project: South Asia Initiative www.thp.org

13. The Connection:Women�s Disempowerment = Malnourishment Before Birth A baby girl in Bangladesh is born into a family that wished and prayed for a boy. Bangladesh's population has dropped from a "natural" ratio of 1,003 females per 1,000 males to 947 women per 1000 men. Childhood Girls are fed the least and worst food, and suffer from higher rates of severe malnutrition than boys. Girls receive poorer health care than boys. By age five, girls carry adult responsibilities both inside and outside the home. Adolescence: Adolescent girls run high risks of sexual assault. Lack of nutritional support for adolescent development results in reproductive health complications and increased mortality.

14. The Connection:Women�s Disempowerment = Malnourishment Marriage She is married young, to a man who is an average of 8 years older. Early and frequent pregnancy - often with no pre or post natal care and over which she has little choice - puts her health at risk. A mother�s malnutrition will be passed down to her children. Adulthood Women are overworked and undernourished � most work twice as many hours as her husband. Her triple burden - child-rearing, work in the household and paid labor outside the home - goes unrecognized and unsupported. Widowhood Often mistreated and denied lawful rights to property.

15. Cycle of Malnourishment

16. Women as Agents of Changein Bangladesh �As Bangladeshi women gain � new awareness, they take action. When women gain voice, they decide to space their children, and have fewer children. As they gain information on nutrition, they improve the health of their families. As they earn income themselves, they see the value of education for their daughters, and use their income to keep their daughters in school. As they form self-help groups with other women, they are able to reach out to more and more women. Millions of these actions, taken every day, add up to a new future for Bangladesh.� www.thr.org Yet, in contrast to its depiction of women as complete victims in their subjugation, the Hunger Project then gives women the utmost agency, placing them as the instruments of changing their own lives and the future of their nation.Yet, in contrast to its depiction of women as complete victims in their subjugation, the Hunger Project then gives women the utmost agency, placing them as the instruments of changing their own lives and the future of their nation.

17. THP Bangladesh:Women-centered, local strategy Train women to become animators, leaders involved in civil society and their Union Parishads (local councils). Promote women to assume the 30% of local council seats reserved for women by statute in 1997. Strengthen Union Parishads themselves Train elected officials in the need to promote women�s rights. Promote transparency in the budgeting.

18. Animator Training The Hunger Project trains women in Participating in local government Working with women�s organizations to promote women�s rights Income Generation Nutrition Basic and Reproductive Health Violence and Trafficking Against Women and Girls Information they need to make good policy Current state of education, health, sanitation, nutrition, legal rights, and religion versus custom. Freedom of movement Sharing responsibility for household work

19. THP Bangladesh: Results in 2003 Trained 15,889 animators, 5,115 of them were women, bringing total number to 34,930. More men than women � higher costs for women�s participation Carried out 1,069 income generating initiatives and formed 1,573 income generating groups. Facilitated 26 open budget meetings in UP�s across Bangladesh, promoting transparency. Trained 800 local UP Elected Officials As of now, the program has trained more men than women, even though it is a woman-based strategy, illustrating the difficulty of getting women involved in politics. High social cost Social stigmaAs of now, the program has trained more men than women, even though it is a woman-based strategy, illustrating the difficulty of getting women involved in politics. High social cost Social stigma

20. Women in India: Goals of Panchayati Raj Campaign Facilitate women�s leadership through Women�s Leadership Workshops Make Panchayats Effective by enhancing village councils and meetings open to all villagers Build Alliances - Support the leadership of women in Panchayats at the village, block, district, state and national level. Influence Public Opinion � Break the dominant mindset of cynicism regarding women�s leadership. Award the Sarojini Naidu Prize for best reporting on women and Panchayati Raj. THP goals in India are similar.THP goals in India are similar.

21. Kashiva Sangoli Faced death threats and community negatively when she stood for elections in 1995. During her 5-year term, she resolved the water problem in her panchayat, constructed roads, brought electricity to her village, created a water supply for times of drought and formed two self-help groups. Women in her panchayat have increased their political involvement. As a direct inspiration, one of the women from her village stood for election in 2000, and is now vice-president of her panchayat.

22. Shahana Begum Shahana Begum�s family arranged her marriage at an early age. One day in 1998, her husband went to work and never returned home. As an animator, Shahana has taken on the issue of clean drinking water, as the water in her district is contaminated with arsenic. She formed a cooperative that works with a bottled water company to produce clean and drinkable water. She also facilitates at least one meeting a month in which villagers discuss issues like arsenic poisoning, health, nutrition and sanitation.

23. Service-delivery Approach v. The Hunger Project People are "beneficiaries" of development Provide services through government bureaucracies or private agencies. Parallel structures address women�s needs Top-down structures Carefully targeted beneficiaries People are primary actors in their own development. Mobilize and empower individuals and to provide an enabling environment in which they can succeed Women empowered in mainstream institutions. Grassroots, local political action Broad and universal empowerment

24. The Hunger Project�s strategy to promote women�s political empowerment� affirms women�s dignity as actors in their communities uses women instrumentally to further development goals: Fighting gender discrimination. Making development relevant to women. Combating poverty and hunger. faces considerable challenges Social pressure against women�s participation Bureaucratic limitations Women and families still have short-term needs It will be interesting to see if someone does a study about the policy implications of THP South Asia strategy, one similar to the Duflo/Chattopadhyay study. It will be interesting to see if someone does a study about the policy implications of THP South Asia strategy, one similar to the Duflo/Chattopadhyay study.

25. Promoting women�s political participation means involving women in their own and their communities� human development.