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Introduction:
The gender perspective in
development cooperation
This is a brief introduction to equality issues for people
working with development cooperation in an organisation.
Forum Syd hopes that it will encourage you and your
organisation to review your activities from a gender
perspective. Forum Syd also invites you to exchange
experiences and develop your competencies in the area.
Forum Syd, November 2005
Methods for change
Forum Syd helps to strengthen and develop the development cooperation of Swedish
organisations. Our goal is to genuinely contribute to a reduction in poverty and the achievement
of sustainable development through the projects and programmes the organisations carry out
together with partners in the South and East. It is fundamentally a matter of helping to bring
about change.
Changing the structures that cause poverty is a major challenge, whether we are working on a
local or global platform. It demands placing our projects or programmes in a larger context to
see how they affect issues like gender equality, environment, HIV/AIDS, democracy, conflict,
organisational development and youth participation. Because of this, Forum Syd develops
methods and approaches in these areas in support of, and sometimes in collaboration with
various other Swedish organisations.
Forum Syd also provides support to the advocacy work and information campaigns of Swedish
organisations in Sweden. This includes providing competence development in communication,
pedagogics, and youth participation.
Methods for Change is the title of Forum Syd’s series of publications, the first of which was
published in the autumn of 2005. This introduction gives a taste of the content of the first
publication, which deals with gender. For more information, go to www.forumsyd.org.
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Taking a gender perspective
One tenth of global income is owned by women. This fact alone shows that equality between women
and men is a fundamental condition of sustainable development. Add to this that 90 per cent of all
politicians are men and it becomes even more obvious that efforts to build democracy and a more just
world must lead to improvements for mainly women, but also for men.
But the solution is not just to run projects targeted solely at women. It is more about challenging the
structures in society and within ourselves which perpetuate this unjust distribution.
Forum Syd basic philosophy is that a critical examination of gender power relations1 is essential to
development cooperation if it is to contribute to poverty reduction and the respect of human rights.
This makes equality an issue of importance to all organisations working with development
cooperation in one form or another, regardless of their general focus.
Scrutinising the prevailing gender power relations means examining the way in which power
structures benefit some groups at the expense of others. We need to discover how the “normal way”
of doing things tends to render women’s circumstances and experiences invisible.
Our behaviour often consolidates the prevailing notions of the roles women and men are expected to
have and how they are expected to act. This applies to both social structures and ourselves as
individuals. It is therefore important to keep a critical mind about gender2 so that the gender
perspective will have an effect on out work. Issues relating to sex and equality are not something that
can just be tossed in at the end with the completed contextual analysis and project descriptions.
Awareness and knowledge of gender power relations should be present from the start, in the planning
of projects, in information about development issues, and in campaigns, courses and other activities.
We must question the way we formulate problems and needs from the very start of our development
cooperation work, and ask ourselves such questions as: What and who are actually included in the
normal way of describing problems and needs, and what and who are not? What are the living
conditions like for those groups left unmentioned? What consequences does sex have on poverty,
powerlessness and insecurity?
This introduction to the gender perspective gives some basic tools for how you and your
organisation can start or continue to integrate the gender perspective into your development
cooperation and your activities in Sweden. We believe that it will whet your appetite for
advancement, and invite you and your organisation to engage in further development. Forum Syd
offers courses and seminars in the gender perspective and has published Doing GENDER – a question
of power, which can be ordered from our website at www.forumsyd.org, where you will also find
links and suggested reading under Methods for Change.
Other material that might be of interest include a publication by the Stockholm UN Association titled
“Hur är det ställt? – En skrift om kvinnor och män i utvecklingssamarbetet”, which can be ordered on
www.sfn.se. The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has revised its
Promoting Gender Equality policy, and has produced some interesting orderable material, including
Gender Matters: On gender equality and development cooperation” and “Gender Equality Enriches
the World”.
1
Gender power relations is a tern denoting the structure that differentiates between people on the bases of sex
and that ascribes higher status to men and masculinity. Men as a group have a superior position relative to
women as a group, who are subordinated.
2
Gender is a social and cultural construction based on a social interpretation of biological sex.
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Equality – the goals of development cooperation
The access that women and men have to resources, choice and power is determined by how society
looks at women and men. This affects their rights as individuals, as members of social groups and as
citizens of a country. Women everywhere are deprived of their human rights simply because of their
sex.
Despite difference between (and within) different societies, it is possible to talk about structures that
give men greater opportunities to make life choices and define themselves and their surroundings.
Women have a subordinated position and in general have much more restricted lives than men in the
same society. This is what we call here the gender power structure (other terms include gender
system, gender hierarchy or patriarchy).
Male superiority and female inferiority are, of course, relative, and are most visible when we examine
the same social group. There are men living in poverty who have little control over their own lives,
and there are women in high positions in business and politics. However, the majority of women in
the world are ascribed a lower value in society than men, and lack a great many basic human rights by
virtue of the fact that they are women.
Naturally, democratic and sustainable development must guarantee both women and men their human
rights and their right to determine their own lives. The equality goal is based on equal value and on
equal rights and obligations, and is designed to abolish all forms of discrimination on grounds of sex.
As long as this is not achieved, the equality goal is essential if development cooperation is to help
build more just and rights-based societies.
The aim of all development cooperation funded by Sida is to reduce poverty (see www.sida.se). This
is to be achieved with a human rights perspective that is itself based on the interests and needs of the
women and men affected (see Sweden’s New Global Development Policy
www.regeringen.se/sb/d/108/a/1639). Even with this overall goal, it is obvious that we must have the
tools needed to examine how poverty hits women and men differently. The rather narrow criteria for
poverty that we often use tells us very little about how women and men actually live.
The gender perspective – a question of power
Gender is a term denoting the social and cultural interpretations we give to biological sex. Biological
differences between women and men are often used as an argument for the existence of unequal roles,
duties and statuses in the family, on the labour market and in society. How we “make women” and
how we “make men” varies with time and place. Gender is about the creation of femininity and
masculinity and not about the inherent qualities of women and men. With a gender perspective, the
focus is on relations between women and men and they way in which these relations affect the status
and life conditions of women and men in different environments. But relations between women and
between men are also important for understanding how women and men perpetuate what society sees
as normal and natural in girls, women, boys and men.
Gender is often seen as something that only affects women and as being of secondary concern to the
big questions. To be sure, the gender perspective is about women’s rights, and much work needs to
focus on strengthening women’s powers of organisation and influence. But support must also be
given to organisations that question notions of what is male, and how men’s self-worth is linked to
power and control. Both women and men should examine the mechanisms in society that perpetuate a
distorted power balance and that force women and men into narrow roles that dictate how we should
be and how we must act.
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The gender perspective exposes how power relations in society strengthen or weaken the ability of
individuals and groups to exercise their human rights and have them respected. The nature of the
relationship between women and men, and of gender constructions at a certain place and time help us
to understand how power relates to gender and the consequences for subordination this has. The
gender perspective shows that the different conditions and rights of women and men can be explained
through interpretations of what is meant by male and female. It reveals how power is structured and
helps us understand the reasons why women lack influence and why men are given certain privileges.
It also opens doors to the analysis of other power structures: class, age, sexuality, residence (urban or
rural), colour of skin and disability are some of the many categories affecting the status of individuals
in society and their right to a decent life.
Working with the genus perspective is not just about identifying discrimination and injustice on the
grounds of the sex of an individual or group. It is also about challenging norms and notions of what
the “normal” tasks and roles of women and men are. If we just do “as we’ve always done”, and thus
confirm the notion that women are to do and have responsibility for some things and men others, our
cooperation will not lead to any tangible change for the majority of women. We might reach out to
particular individuals but we will not be tackling the structures that prevent women from becoming
fully empowered citizens and men from rejecting the dominant conception of how they should think
and behave.
Begin with your own organisation
We often forget that our own values and our own organisation should also be shaped by the goals and
aims that govern our external operations. The work done on changing attitudes and finding new
knowledge must not simply apply to specific projects. If our intention is to develop the capacity of
other organisations, we should also stand up and examine ourselves. What are things like in our
organisation? What knowledge and attitudes do we convey within the organisation and in relation to
others?
Working for greater equality and questioning the norms that govern the lives of men and women is a
huge challenge. Of course, we can go to varying lengths in our demands, but regardless of whether we
want an even balance of men and women participants and speakers at a seminar, or whether we aim to
take on the pornography industry and sex trade, the gender perspective entails critically penetrating
how power in society is structured and shared. This will meet with resistance, of course, both within
the organisation and within ourselves.
It is hard to work for equality if it is simply a matter of changing the attitudes of others rather than
ourselves. It is a good idea to discuss the attitudes and values that exist in your organisation as you
carry out a gender analysis of your organisation and its operations. Make use of value exercises and
different kinds of survey to draw attention to what is “normal” and self-evident. A gender perspective
engages in a person’s life in such a way that many notions and values are frequently turned upside
down. We need to be aware of the conflicts that demands for gender equality can cause. It is generally
easier to carry on as normal and not question the distribution of power; but placing the focus on the
way in which power is exercised in practice and in people’s everyday lives helps us to identify
injustice and undemocratic structures.
Support of the leadership - Resolve, knowledge and supportive structures
If you are determined to change norms and values, then support is needed from those who lead
operations. The attitudes and views of these leaders play an important part in the ability of project
participants to challenge traditional gender roles.
Both within organisations and informal groups, the vision of just, gender equal and democratic
development needs the support of decision-makers.
y Have you identified who has the power in the organisation/group?
y Do these people support gender work?
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The leadership needs to give clear signals that the gender perspective is an important and priority
issue. Internal training, gender surveys and external consultancy, if needed, should be budgeted for.
Time should also be made for writing assignment descriptions for speakers, trainers and project
personnel that make clear reference to the gender perspective.
Description of the context
From where do you get your information? How have you arrived at your impression of the target
group’s situation? How have you arrived at the theme for your information campaign? Are there any
groups or key persons who have not contributed to your understanding of the situation? Have you
sought the help of people and/or organisations that know about gender issues?
These are some of the questions you should ask yourself before you start planning projects and
activities. Have the courage to question your previous descriptions and analyses, discuss with partners
and collaborating organisations how you can improve your operations by revising how you formulate
the problems and needs. If you have not included the gender perspective before, or just limited
yourself to headcounts of women and men, confine the gender analysis to one of the core questions or
min activities and start there. After that you can try to gain a helicopter view of your entire operations.
The cooperation work of social movement organisations is directed at civil society organisations
(CSOs), and for these public events and phenomena are of major importance. What gender issues are
discussed in society? In which situations do women and men participate? Society can reinforce
traditionally gender-bound behaviour in schools, on the labour market or in social and cultural
contexts. The structures that govern ownership, political and economic power and that dominate
research have an influence on the issues considered important, the type of statistics asked for in
analyses of society, and the measures needed to be taken. The assumptions held by politicians and
decision-makers about the state of affairs have a profound influence on depictions of reality.
For information campaigns in Sweden, you can turn to gender-aware media watchdogs, gender
teachers or organisations with an explicit gender perspective in their PR activities for help.
Gender analysis
Everything can be gender-analysed. It is possible to study events, phenomena and texts afterwards
through a gender lens, but it is not this kind of gender analysis that we are talking about here.
Organisations working with development cooperation and information on global issues and global
justice must strive to ensure that the gender analysis is ubiquitous. Every step in your work should
take into account how it affects women and men.
Gender analyse
1. Your own organisation
2. Objectives and activities of partners
3. Forms for cooperation
4. Description of external environment (contextual and sector analyses)
5. The specific project and target group
6. Descriptions of problems and needs
7. Project plans
8. Reports
9. Information material etc.
A gender analysis provides answers to how life conditions, rights and opportunities appear for women
and men within a certain group or society as a whole. It may include information on the power and
control those women and men have over their own lives, their ability for and prospects of taking part
in society and exercising their citizen’s rights, or the way in which resources are distributed between
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women and men. It may also give answers to questions on the nature of relations between women and
men and opportunities that exist to challenge gender roles in society.
Make your analysis together with your partner and get help from studies and reports that heed the
conditions of women and men in the region concerned. The analysis may be relatively general and
show the situation in the organisation, target group or region. It might also probe certain areas more
deeply and be compared with power analyses based on discrimination on grounds other than gender.
Checklist: Gender analysis of descriptions of problems and needs – some basic questions to
ask
y
y
y
y
y
y
y
y
y
y
How are problems and questions presented? (Are statistics and background information
gender blind?)
Which needs and interests are identified? (Are both women and men mentioned?)
Whose perspectives emerge in contextual analysis/formulation of problems?
How are power and power relations discussed?
What discriminatory structures are identified?
What will be the short-term and long-term consequences for the women and men affected on
the basis of the problem and needs descriptions?
Are relations between women and men problematised?
Is the situation of the women involved problematised?
Is the situation of the men involved problematised?
Are women and men’s different access to and control over power problematised?
Gender in projects
Regardless of what your project is designed to achieve, gender must always be present as a thread
running through planning, implementation and follow-up. You don’t need to attack all causes of
inequality in one single project, but you should make conscious choices about where it is best to start
active change work. It is good if you can explain why you have chosen to work with the gender
perspective in a certain way. Perhaps you have decided to concentrate on internal democratic
development with active measures for strengthening women’s status in leading positions in your
organisation. Or maybe you are implementing small productive projects in order to challenge notions
of what women and men are expected to do. Another choice can be to focus on strategic issues like
sexual and reproductive rights, men’s violence against women, or men’s organisation for equality.
Depending on the context in which the project is to be implemented, perhaps the demand that women
be allowed to participate is radical and challenging enough and that is as far as you can go at the
moment.
In general, women’s and men’s different life situations, strategic interests and practical needs are to
be identified. The descriptions that you have produced are to be discussed in relation to the social
structures, local environment and the specific context. The conditions and situation of men’s lives are
just as relevant to analyse as those of women. Generally, both women and men are to be involved in
activities designed to change attitudes towards equality. Naturally, it is also important to point out if
there are social differences within the group of women and men, and if they are more marginalised
and disrespected on the bases of cultural and social norms than others. Do not forget to ask yourselves
who has not been included in the problem and needs description.
Gender and diversity
• Is age important to whether the work is paid or not?’
• Are disabled women included in the “women” group in the target group description?
• Do discussions just centre around the particular circumstances of the majority culture, or are
indigenous peoples and other ethnically marginalised groups included?
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•
•
When sexual rights are discussed, are transgender persons, homosexual or bisexual men and
women included?
Are discussions possible on what impact class has on the issues that are considered
important?
Projects should be placed in a context where women’s and men’s control over and access to
resources, choices and decision-making are discussed and problematised. Ask yourselves whether
your project challenges prevailing sex roles or perpetuates society’s view of women and men. What
could you do to go one step further? Use the checklist below to assure yourselves that women have
not been included simply to make the project run more smoothly (by doing the preparatory work or
supporting the ones doing the “real” work) and that they have genuine influence over operations
rather than being unheeded participants.
Checklist for participation and influence
Which actors set the agenda and make the general assumptions?
Who identifies the problems?
Right of interpretation
Who identifies the needs and various interests?
Who are judged as important actors/interested parties?
Which individuals/groups in organisations are permitted to take part in strategic decision-making?
Who does the work in the project?
What roles do women and men have?
Under what forms can influence be exercised?
Who takes part in implementation and follow-up?
Influence
Who takes part in evaluating the results of collaborations?
What does participation involve?
Are specific steps taken to make the participation of women in various decision-making processes
easier?
What areas of problems & needs are seen as general?
Sidetrack or main
What areas are seen as specifically interesting as regards women
issue
in particular?
What status does gender equality and the gender perspective have
within participating organisations?
Is any resistance to women’s participation/influence in organisations analysed or problematised?
Measure what has been done
There are many ways that an organisation can follow up and evaluate its activities. Many models only
register whether women have been involved at an activity level, if, that is, they touch on the gender
perspective at all. When measuring the results and effects of what you have done, you should consider
several aspects of your project if you are to make any improvements and changes from a gender
perspective
It can, of course, be difficult to measure the impact of the gender perspective if it is not included at the
planning stage. Still, you can try to consider the project on the basis of sex and power. Here are some
suggestions and questions to help you along:
•
•
•
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Complement your analyses with questions that place particular focus on how gender affects a
person’s powers of influence and participation.
Follow up the results to make sure that they meet the practical needs of women and men or
whether they also tackle the causes of inequality (strategic interests).
Have your activities helped to challenge gender power structures through their alternative
planning and implementation? Have they enabled women and men to assume roles that are
different from those to which they are accustomed?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Has the organisation changed its views on equality and gender?
Are there more women in leading positions in the organisation?
Has the organisation taken part, either alone or with other CSOs, in campaigns for women’s
rights?
Do women participate more in local politics?
Has violence against women decreased in the region in question?
Do the women in the target group feel that they have greater control of their lives?
Do the men in the target group feel that they have changed their views on women and what
women can and are expected to do?
Do the women feel that they have changed their attitudes towards men and what men can do?
Do the women feel that the men take greater responsibility for the family and close social
relations?
Do the men feel that they have changed their views on the meaning of masculinity?
What next?
Working with a gender perspective requires knowledge and new attitudes. One way of acquiring these
attributes is to discuss and reflect with other organisations working with development cooperation and
information on global issues.
Attend Forum Syd’s courses on democracy and rights
Forum Syd offers different levels of course on the gender perspective. For course dates see under
Kurser och seminarier at www.forumsyd.org (in Swedish only)
Further reading
Suggested reading and useful links can be found on www.forumsyd.org under Metoder för bättre
bistånd.
Learn from others
Get in touch with organisations working with the gender perspective in the region where you operate.
Obtain supplementary information on your region from women’s organisations, gender networks and
feminist researchers.
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