5 Gender and Development

5 GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT: A Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment
Framework
In the Philippines , both government and civil society work for gender equality within a framework which recognizes that women’s potential for
participating in, and contributing to the development process has not been fully realized. The Gender and development {Gad} perspective views
development in the context of the socio-cultural, political and economic realities in Philippine society as these reflect the differential roles,
characteristics and expectations assigned to women and men.
The process of development may be seen as a process of growth and transformation. Development, how-ever, is not just measured in economic
terms. Growth here refers not just to economic growth but also to social, political and cultural growth. Similarly, transformation refers not just
economic transportation (i.e. from an agricultural to an industrial economy) but to social, structural transformation. Development also includes
the notion of equality, e.g. equal distribution of income and benefits so that they reach those who are most in need. In the Philippines, this s yet
a consummation devoutly to be wished.
Inequality in our country, particularly, gender equality, is systemic and embedded in our social structures and institutions. The situation is
gradually changing; nonetheless, gender roles and stereotypes inscribed in traditional practices continue to prevail in most communities.
Women are seen essentially as doing reproductive rather than productive work; they belong to the privatesphere and are excluded from the
public sphere. As a result of these often deeply entrenched views and practices, women are disadvantaged in their access to the services,
resources, opportunities and results of development (See Table Below).
Women Men
Labor force participation rate (1998) 49.3 82.9
Employment-Population Ratio (1994-1997) 44.8 76.2
rd
Proportion in 3 -Level Positions in Government 32.46 67.54
Percent of Union Leadership (1996) 20.7 79.3
Number of Elected Positions (1998) 2, 684 17,460
Average Earnings (1990) P 0.34 P 1.00
Source: National Commission on the role of Filipino Women fact sheet
To achieve gender equality, planners need to take into account both women and men roles and responsibilities within the community and insure
that all forms of discrimination based on sex are remove in the access to development opportunity. They need to address both practical and
strategic gender needs. Practical gender needs refer to the needs of both women and men to survive and improve their lives economically.
These would include a clean and adequate water supply, improve health care and better ways of generating income. Strategic gender needs, on
the other hand, stem from a deeper understanding of women’s subordination and address structural inequalities. Strategic needs include legal
rights of women, protection from domestic violence, reproductive rights and similar concerns.
Recognizing the reality that it is women who are predominantly disadvantaged in society, the gender and development approach promotes not
only gender equality but women’s empowerment .empowerment involves:
 Women’s awareness of unequal power relations in society and the need to do something about it.
 Women taking control of their lives by organizing, building skills and capabilities, and developing a sense of independence and self-
worth.
Empowerment is thus both a process and a result were women are not only beneficiaries but agent of societal transformation.
Some useful gender concepts

Gender refers to the differential roles, Expectations and privileges assigned to men and women by society. Gender is socially and culturally
constructed as opposed to biological sex which refers to the physiological characteristics differentiating men and women. Thus, childbearing is a
biological role of women but child rearing is a gender role. It may be assumed by both men and women but society generally assigns women sole
or primary responsibility for this task.
Gender also refers to the social relations between women and men in society which involve asymmetry in power-sharing, decision making and
the division of labor.
Gender division of labor-men and women perform multiple work roles but are usually expected to perform gender role, i.e. roles classified
according to their sex but which are social rather that biological (see gender above). Hence, men are expected to perform productive roles and
activities having to do with the income and economic welfare of both the family and the community. Women also perform a variety of
productive roles such as subsistence farming, care of livestock, food processing for sale, running a sari-sari store, etc. Nonetheless, they are
perceive as performing reproductive role which reproduce and maintain the household and the labor force. This reproductive roles include not
only their biological role such as pregnancy and child birth but tasks having to do with maintaining household and family such as child rearing
and housework.
Gender issues are instances of gender inequality recognized as obstacles to progress and development.
Gender analysis examines problems and situation to identify the gender issues. In development programs the proper identification of
gender issues means the recognition of the obstacles to progress so that they can be address in the project objectives, the choice of intervention
strategies and the methods of program implementation. Gender mainstreaming takes into account gender issues and concerns in all
development projects and programs as against segregating this issues into separate “women’s project.”
Sources/References
Readings developed for UNICEF by Longwe, Clarke and Associates for UNICEF staff training purposes.
Guide to Gender and Development, prepared to facilitate planning in Aus Aid Development Programs.
www.ausaid.gov.au/publication/pdf/guidetgenderanddevelopment.pdf
Canadian International Development Agency file: //A:\Gender Equality- What is Gender Equality.htm
The World Bank Group. Gender and Rural Development.

http://Inweb18.worldbank.org/ES.../1DFBB43FB11001AE85256B520077DE30?Opendocumen 8/23/02
Gender Concepts. Information and communication Technologies for Development, IDRC http://www.idrc.ca/pan/gender/gconcepts.htm
Gender Conceptshttp://www.tgnp.co.tz/gender/gconcepts.htm
UNDP/GIDP Gender Mainstreaming Glossary http://www.undp.org/gender/capacity/GMGlossary.htm

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5 GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT: A Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

Some useful gender concepts

The World Bank Group. Gender and Rural Development.

UNDP/GIDP Gender Mainstreaming Glossary http://www.undp.org/gender/capacity/GMGlossary.htm

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