Introduction to Development Studies

Session 10: Introduction to

Gender and Development

Solomon Mwije

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Session focus
 Understanding the link between gender and
development

 The basic differences between sex and

gender

 Gender inequalities

 Promoting gender equality

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The paradigm shift in development
 Concerns with economic development.: market
oriented than people oriented
◦ Single-minded concentration on the GDP &GNP.
◦ Yes, increased income and quality of goods and services
essential for people BUT quality of their lives matters a
lot.

 So, economic development a means but not

an end in itself.

 A need to shift to a human-oriented development:

“development with a human face.”
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Paradigm shifts in defining and
measuring development

From economic
based measures

Development

To human To gender
development equality/equity
measures measures

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 Validity problems with measuring
development as economic growth
If we define development in terms of economic
growth we miss issues related to
1. Personal capabilities (deprivation)
2. Environmental → e.g. Infectious diseases
3. Social (public & collective goods & services)
4. Relational – e.g. to appear in public without shame
5. Household – e.g. Power relations, work that is not
counted? (see next two slides)
6. Problems with general surveys → sampling, close-
ended quaetions? (Quantitity Vs Quality) → from
country to household to individuals
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Example: The unpaid care work
(World Bank, 2018)

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Example: The unpaid care work in Uganda
(UBOS and MGLSD 2019)

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Development form a gender
perspective

 Viewing development terms of:

"who benefits, who loses, what trade-offs have

been made, what is the resulting balance of
rights and obligations, what is the resulting
balance of power and privilege between men
and women, and between social groups?"

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 Gender perspective
 How a development issue, problem,
objective or measure applies to the
different genders.

 A view from both the female’s and male’s

perspective.

 Call for a developmental process that

enlarges people’s, women's and men's,
choices
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 Development is also about…

 reducing and/or eliminating the gaps

between social groups to bring about
equality

 actions of all actors including boys, girls, men

and women

 So, it should apply to all individuals

regardless of their sex or gender statues
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 Exercise: Difference between gender
and sex

What can a man do that a woman cannot do?

What can a woman do that a man cannot do?

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 Exercise: Difference between gender
and sex

 What may a man do that a woman may not do?

 What may a woman do that a man may not do?

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Differences between Gender and Sex
See also: Abdulrahman M. Nahoda (2016). The differences between sex and gender
(video file): Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwFZqT3yI18
Accessed 11 March 2021

Sex Gender
Born with sex identities Not born with

Biologically and genetically Socially learnt behavior

determined (biological and (Gender is an acquired
physiological characteristics identity through the
that defines female or male socialization process

Universal (the same every Diverse (different across

where) societies and even within
cultures)
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Differences cont…
See also: Abdulrahman M. Nahoda (2016). The differences between sex and gender
(video file): Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwFZqT3yI18
Accessed 11 March 2021

Sex Gender
Based on nature and therefore Changes with time and history e.g.
cannot change e.g. menstruation, women were not to play football but
developed breasts, soft voice for now they do, education priority was
women, while massive bones, physical given to men but this has changed,
strength, deep voice for men men increasingly are engaged in
domestic women

It is about being male or female It is rational-it looks beyond being

man or women to include the
relations between the two

NB:There are people who do not fit There are individuals who do not fit
well into biological categories of into the categories of women and
female and male-transex men-Transgender 14
 Gender differences between men
and women (common stereotypes)
Men Women
Masculine(active) Feminine (Passive)
Dominant Submissive/subordinates
Aggressive Gentle/soft
Logical emotional
independent Dependent
competent incompetent
Strong/powerful Weak/fragile
Superior Inferior
Brave Cowards/fearful
Decision makers Implementers
Bread winners House keepers
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 Gender
 Socially constructed differences and distinctions
between men and women
 Distinctions →
◦ different attributes, statuses, roles, responsibilities,
and potentialities, as well as access to, and control
over resources and benefits
 Socially expected behavior → in each culture,
location or time.
 Expectations often lead to attitudes that equate
women and their activities with low social
status while men are accorded high status
(Tuyizere, 2007)
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Source: Nikki van der
Gaag. (2011). Because I am
a Girl So, what about boys
The State of World’s Girls
2011. Page 21
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 Some gender concepts (Reeves & Baden, 2000)
 Culture:
◦ A distinctive pattern of ideas, beliefs and norms which characterize
the way of life, and the relations in the society. → what men and
women are and what they should or should not do or be.

 Gender relations:
◦ Explains relations of power and dominance within a particular
structure and the life choices of women and men.
◦ Reflects issues of decision making, control and ownership over
resources, benefits, opportunities, property inheritance and rights
etc.

 Gender roles:
◦ Responsibilities ascribed to women and men based on sex, or the
expected duties, responsibilities, rights, privileges and opportunities
associated with being male or female and is determined by culture.
◦ 3 categories of gender roles: Reproductive roles; Productive roles;
Community roles
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 Some gender concepts (Reeves & Baden, 2000)
 Gender inequality: (See Slides 28-29)
◦ Differences between men and women that
systematically empower one group to the detriment
of the other.

 Gender Equality: (See Slides 30-31)

◦ Equal enjoyment by women and men of socially
valued goods, opportunities, resources and rewards.
→ no discrimination!

 Gender Equity:
◦ Fairness and justice in the distribution of resources,
benefits, and responsibilities in all spheres of life.
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 Equality does not mean [≠] Justice

Development
Outcome

Development
Intervention

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Some gender concepts (Reeves & Baden, 2000)

 Gender Mainstreaming
◦ “a strategy for making women’s as well as men’s
concerns and experiences an integral
dimension of the design, implementation,
monitoring and evaluation of the policies and
programmes in all political, economic and
societal spheres so that women and men
benefit equally and inequality is not
perpetuated.”

(UN Economic and Social Council in the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action)

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 Women’s Human Rights
(International rights agreement)
 Recognition that women’s rights are human rights and
that women experience injustices solely because of their
gender

 Women’s rights were declared during the Convention

on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against
women (CEDAW, 1979)

 What are Human Rights?

◦ The rights you are entitled to because you are a human

◦ See:
 Amnesty Switzerland. (2016). Human rights in two minutes. (video
file): Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew993Wdc0zo Accessed 11
March 2021
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 Rights for ALL
 Rights to life, liberty, security of person
 Freedom from violence and degrading
treatment,
 Freedom of movement
 Legal equality and protection by the law
including equal rights in marriage
 decision making in their family regarding property,
marriage and children, property and resources
 Right to own property and freedom from
deprivation of property
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Rights for ALL
 Freedom of thought, opinion and
association
 Right to work,
 Freedom from exploitation
 Right to rest and leisure
 Right to a standard of living
 Right to adequate for health
 Right to education, including special care
for mothers

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Gender equality as a
development issue

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 Gender equality as a
development issue
 “The relentless struggle for gender equality will
change most of today's premises for social,
economic and political life”
(HDR 1995: “The revolution for gender equality”)

 Basic objective of development as enlarging

people's choices (Human Development Reports)
 3 essential components:
1. Equality of opportunity for all people.
2. Sustainability of such opportunities from one
generation to the next.
3. Empowerment of people to participate in (and benefit
from) development processes.

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 Progress?? See some statistics
 WorldFish. (2014). Gender Equality: Now. (Online video).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4viXOGvvu0Y (Accessed 20
July 2021)

 World Economic Forum. (2015). The Global Gender Gap Report

2015 (video file): Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llj7LzTULog Accessed 11
March 2021

 World Economic Forum. (2017). 100 Years Until We Reach

Gender Parity? (video file): Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWpszEzmmzw Accessed
11 March 2021

 CGTN Africa. (2017). Gender Equality: Africa's Progress. (Online

video). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-kMgWkJTas
(Accessed 20 July 2021)
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Gender inequalities

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 Gender inequalities
 Low education attainment (literacy levels)
 Poor healthcare access among females (maternal and child
mortality)
 Women receive a disproportionately small share of credit from
formal banking institutions.
 Women normally receive a much lower average wage than men,
because they hold low-paying jobs or work in the informal
sector and because they are sometimes paid less than men for
equal work.
 High rates of unemployment among women than men.
 Women still constitute less than a seventh of administrators and
managers in organizations
 Limited political participation and decision making among
women (influence on policy and law formation, and development
interventions)
 Most poverty issues experienced among females and children
Etc.
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 What can be done to promote
gender equality?
Focus on removing all barriers for EVERYONE!

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 What can be done to promote
gender equality?
 Support National Women Movements
 Mobilizing and sustaining political will towards gender equality
 Use sectoral reforms as entry points (mainstreaming gender)
 Affirmative action: Promoting participation of women in development
agendas
 Ensuring rule of law and equal access to justice
 Promote equal participation and representation in development
processes
 Mobilize and invest resources for empowering women
 Fair employment practices and ensuring non-discriminatory service
provision to citizens
 Ensure women’s equal access to land and economic and natural
resources
 Coordinate and collaborate with other actors in promoting gender
equality
 Elimination of discrimination by gender and violence against women.
 Equal rights of citizens in all areas of life, both public and private
 Etc. 31
 Who is responsible for promoting
gender equality?
 State
 Market
 Civil Society Organizations
 Donors
 Academia
 Media
 Community members
 Any other person, group, institution, and organization
involved in development processes

See Session 6 for detailed roles of development actors

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Discussion
Follow the link below and watch the short video
(only 26 minutes). The participants in the video
debate about whether gender equality is good or
bad.

 DW Africa. (2019). Street Debate - Is gender equality a bad

motion in Uganda? (Online Video). Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaaMRU1lk_0 (Accessed
20 July 2021)

Discussion Questions:
1. What do you agree or disagree with in the debate?
2. What is your take on gender equality?
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 Reading Resources
 PART 7 - Desai,V., Potter, R.B., (eds.) (2014): Companion to
Development Studies. 3rd edition. Routledge
 Reeves Hazel and Baden Sally (2000), Gender & Development: Concepts
& Definitions, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex,
UK
 Cornwall, A. (2009). Revisiting the ‘Gender Agenda’. DS Bulletin, 38(2),
69-78.
 World Bank, (2012), World Development Report: Gender Equality and
Development. The World Bank, Washington DC, USA.
 Nikki van der Gaag. (2011). Because I am a Girl: So, what about boys?
The State of World’s Girls 2011. Surrey, UK: Plan International
 UN Women. (2021). Gender Equality Glossary.
https://trainingcentre.unwomen.org/mod/glossary/view.php?id=36&mod
e=letter&hook=G&sortkey&sortorder&fullsearch=0&page=-1
 World Bank. 2018. Atlas of Sustainable Development Goals 2018 :
From World Development Indicators. World Bank Atlas;. Washington,
DC: World Bank.
 Alice. P. Tuyizere, (2007): Gender and Development-The role of Religion and
Culture; Makerere University-Fountain Publishers

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