|
Methods of reducing gender inequality in development cooperation
Gender mainstreaming is one of the methods in which we try to work towards achieving the goal of gender equality. Sometimes in development cooperation it is mistakenly thought that mainstreaming the gender perspective is some kind of project goal. Paying attention to the opinions, experience and needs of both men and women in the work of a community or a project is not, however, a goal in itself but something that must be involved in all activities. The actual goal is gender equality. You can find a more detailed definition of gender mainstreaming in the section about basic concepts. An important method of making progress towards gender equality is by strengthening the position of women in all areas of life in different societies and communities. Therefore we must of course focus on women’s experiences, needs and expectations. The empowerment of women is necessary as a particular means because the status of women is lower than that of men throughout the world and this is a reason why gender equality has not been achieved. In development cooperation we often talk of a double strategy for achieving gender equality. This means precisely using both of the two ways referred to above in all activities: on the one hand gender mainstreaming and on the other the empowerment of women. A participatory approach in development cooperation is one of the means by which the experience and needs of women and men can be better utilised. A participatory approach means that the beneficiaries of the development cooperation are the main subjects of the whole process. By taking a participatory approach, development cooperation workers can create a situation in which the people affected themselves decide how they wish their lives to develop on the base of their own knowledge. A participatory approach is also important as a process because it provides all the parties involved in the cooperation activities, both beneficiaries and outsiders with information and experience about how to influence in one´s own life and development. Using the different participatory approach methods is a way of finding out the opinions of both women and men in each community concerning the best way to proceed in solving development problems. This gives valuable information for the promotion of gender equality. Using a participatory approach, too, groups that would otherwise be forgotten or ignored can make their voices heard. Gender analysis is a method of clarifying gender roles within a community and how they affect the lives of women and men as well as their influence on, for example, development cooperation projects. At its best gender analysis provides information about a community’s political, social and economic power structures and gender relations within them. Gender analysis asks simple questions whose intention is to clarify the possibilities of different groups, women and men, to influence and control their own lives. Such questions can include for example:
The information obtained from a gender analysis brings gender-based inequalities to light. The material can also be used to analyse inequalities based on other aspects as well as gender, for example disability and ethnicity. Carrying out the process of gender analysis can also shape people’s own attitudes to gender equality. All in all the knowledge gained through gender analysis helps us make better and more sustainable decisions with regard to development cooperation projects. Various tools have been developed for gender analysis and these can be adapted and combined together. Usually an examination of the answers to simple questions about the way the community works provides a ready basis for a gender analysis. It is important to put the material that is available and the information that has been collected to good use in planning and implementing development projects. You can find more about gender analysis in the section about project pre-planning. Gender-disaggregated information All development cooperation projects require basic information about the people who fall within the sphere of influence of the project concerned. A well-planned project is based on information about the people that is as comprehensive as possible to provide the basis for making decisions connected with the project. From the point of view of promoting gender equality it is important that the information is disaggregated by gender. This means that all the information about the target groups of the project must be broken down by gender, split up according to whether it concerns women or men, girls or boys. Farmers are not just classified as farmers but as male farmers and female farmers. Households are not neutral units but composed of women and men, girls and boys. Gender-disaggregated information helps us to see gender-related inequalities and to plan project activities and allocate resources in the right way. It helps us understand the nature of the gender system in the community or the society. The experience of many people engaged in development cooperation has demonstrated that collecting information and disaggregating it according to gender is a good and inexpensive first step in the process of promoting gender equality. Gender-sensitive attitudes and behaviour One easy and very fundamental method to try to increase gender equality in development cooperation is to think about your own attitudes and behaviour with regard to gender roles, and about those of your own organisation. How do you yourself relate to the roles of women and men? Does your own work and behaviour help to promote gender equality? How do you perceive the status of women in your own community and in other communities? A gender-sensitive attitude is a way of seeing things, and understanding and dealing with society and communities. Gender and gender roles define people’s identities and thereby their attitudes and the behaviour that results from them. So it is important to keep in mind that the individual attitudes to gender equality of everyone engaged in development cooperation have decisive effects on the quality and sustainability of that cooperation. This applies to everyone involved, to the boards and managers of organisations as well as to individual workers. It is important to pay attention to gender-related matters in every organisations’ own ways of working and, for example, decision-making procedures. You can find more about this subject in the section about gender equality in the organisation. |
