Women as agents of development (concepts and strategies in the application of technical co-operation) - abstract -
1997
Klingshirn, A.
In the report based on several examples from rural areas of Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya) it shall be made clear that the best support for women is not achieved by promoting so-called "women's projects" in isolation. Only if women are also involved in the decision making process of what the development should look like they can receive the support that they need to further development that is relevant to their needs and based on their life circumstances. In the past women were either largely ignored in the process of development and so were excluded from the (often technocentric) development or they were often additionally disadvantaged by it. If for example, when new fields are cleared for agricultural production, the family's firewood requirements for cooking, baking and heating are not taken into consideration, the result for the women will be longer trips to get firewood. At the same time the women will be expected, within the framework of the traditional division of labour, to spend more time working on the new fields. This unbalanced course of events will have a variety of negative effects, and the woman herself will be exhausted by overwork. Based on some examples from the field of integrated household economies, it will be demonstrated that, meanwhile, experience with new participative and integrative approaches exists. These approaches improve the chance of people in rural areas, including women, to guide and structure their own development.
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