Essay: Women and Development, Gender Bias and Project Implications

This essay delves into the historical context of women's exclusion from development initiatives, exploring the reasons behind the traditional disregard for their opinions. It examines how modernization and societal biases have impacted women's roles, leading to increased workloads and reduced control over resources. The essay further investigates the concept of gender-sensitive projects, outlining key steps to ensure inclusivity, such as addressing the specific challenges faced by women and girls and utilizing participatory techniques. It also highlights the benefits of considering men and women equally in development projects, emphasizing the positive implications for women's advancement and the promotion of gender equality. The essay references key academic sources, including Momsen (2010) and O'Faircheallaigh (2013), to support its arguments and provide a comprehensive analysis of the topic.

Running head: WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT
Women and Development
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

1WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT
Development refers to process that helps in the creation of the growth along with the
progress in the society. Gender is a socially constructed phenomenon and it has been
integrated within the development practice. The women make up half of the population of the
world. Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the year 1948 reaffirmed equal rights of
both the men along with the women. The women in the society have to face the disadvantage
and the discrimination in the society on account of the gender differentiated structure (Afshar,
2016). This essay throws light on how opinion of the women were not considered in the areas
of the development. The essay discusses the reason why the opinion of the women were not
thought of to be crucial for the development. The essay discusses how a project can be
gender-sensitive and the consequence of the consideration of men and the women equally
within the development projects.
The view of the women were not taken into consideration in the areas of the
development. The term called “development” help in evoking a positive image that is
desirable in the present age. The modernization taking place in the arena of agriculture has
altered division of labour in between the sexes. It has increased the dependent status of the
women along with the workload. The women in the society are losing the control over the
resources like the land and they are excluded from getting the access to the improved
agricultural method (Momsen, 2009). The mobility of the male was higher than the female
and the women are left with the task of providing the support to the children. This leads the
men in the society to deal with the aspect of the development whereas the women are left
confined in their homes. The women have to cope with the housework along with the
childcare that made the women drift away from that of the development in the society.
The opinion of the women were no thought of to be relevant for development as there
exists gender biasedness in the society. There is the dearth of the gender equality in the
society that hinders the women from participating in the development activities. The women

2WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT
do not get the equal opportunities in the society that can help them in leading fulfilling lives.
The women in the society take care of the children along with the elders in various countries
of the world. The women in the society are instrumental in supporting the household that
takes the women away from the areas of the development. The development policies that
were implemented till 1970 were mainly directed at the women pertaining to the role as the
wives and the mothers. The women in the society did not benefit in the event of the income
of the household increasing (O'Faircheallaigh, 2013). The women in the society are excluded
from the negotiation of the agreements that provided the women with a subordinate position
in the society. The women did not take part in any kind of negotiations within Papua New
Guinea that divorced the women from the aspect of the development. The women are
excluded from that of the mining negotiations that plays an important role in reducing the
power of the women in the society. The women in the indigenous societies do not take part in
the public ceremonial that renders the women powerless in the societal structure (Rai, 2017).
The women are reluctant to involve themselves within the public forums along with the
discourse that reduces the power of the women in the society.
There are certain steps that can be taken that can help in the developing of the gender
sensitive project. A project should have a clear idea of the problems that are faced by the girls
along with the young women that can help in making a project gender sensitive. The
participatory techniques should be used that can play an important role in making a gender-
sensitive project. This can help in bringing out how the unequal power relation are shaping
the issues in relation to the various groups (Tiwari, 2018). The risks should be identified by
consulting with the women which can make a contribution in the making of the gender-
sensitive project. The community members should get the opportunity of discussing how the
girls are viewed in the society. There should be advocacy work that can help in strengthening
the governments which can help the women in realizing the rights in the society. The girls

3WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT
should be provided with the opportunity of participating in the aspect of the decision making
that can help in the creation of a gender sensitive project (Lind et al., 2016).
The men and the women being considered equally in the development projects can
help in the progression of women in the society. The women being provided with the right
kind of the opportunities can help the women in rising ahead in the professional position
(Wekerle, 2019). The promotion of the gender equality in the society can help the women in
getting a prominent position in the society. The gender norms being positive can help in
creating a positive impression on the mind of the women that can encourage them in their
work.
Women within society have to face discrimination owing to gender differentiated
structure. The women within the framework of the society do not have the control over
resources like land. The women are not provided with the opportunity of getting access to
that of the improved agricultural method. Opinion of women were not thought of to be
important in society owing to the prevalence of the gender biasedness. Gender equality does
not prevail in the society and the women are hindered from participation within development
activities. A project should specify the problems which are faced by girls which can play a
crucial role in the creation of a gender sensitive project. The male and the female gender in
the society should be considered in an equal manner that can help in the advancement of the
women.

4WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT
References
Afshar, H. (Ed.). (2016). Women and empowerment: Illustrations from the Third World.
Springer.
Lind, A., Simon-Kumar, R., Amadiume, I., Ray, R., Pieterse, J. N., Collins, D., ... &
Harcourt, W. (2016). Feminist futures: Reimagining women, culture and development.
Zed Books Ltd..
Momsen, J. (2009). Gender and development. Routledge.
O'Faircheallaigh, C. (2013). Women's absence, women's power: indigenous women and
negotiations with mining companies in Australia and Canada. Ethnic and Racial
Studies, 36(11), 1789-1807.
Rai, S. (2017). Mainstreaming gender, democratizing the state: Institutional mechanisms for
the advancement of women. Routledge.
Tiwari, R. K. (2018). Empowering women through agricultural extension: a global
perspective. Indian Rural Market: Opportunity and Challenges in the Global
Context, 1(1), 68-75.
Wekerle, G. R. (2019). New space for women. Routledge.