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EU Gender Mainstreaming Policy in Hungarian Rural Development

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EU Gender Mainstreaming Policy in Hungarian Rural Development Room for Growth: EU Gender Mainstreaming Policy in Hungarian Rural Development by Allison Beresford B.A. in English and Comparative Literary Studies, May 2009, Occidental College A Thesis submitted to The Faculty of The Elliott School of International Affairs of The George Washington University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts May 17, 2015 Thesis directed by Sharon L. Wolchik Professor of Political Science and International Affairs © Copyright 2015 by Allison Beresford All rights reserved ii Dedication To Addie, whose love will always fill my heart. iii Acknowledgements It took a team of people, and arguably, the influence of a few generations to write this thesis. I will start by thanking those who most directly provided me with the tools to become a better researcher and critical thinker. Well before I had even chosen a research topic, actually even before I had enrolled in graduate school, I knew I wanted to work with Dr. Sharon L. Wolchik. Not only has her expertise in gender and post-communist states contributed immensely to my own research, but her constant support and kind words of encouragement always provided me with much-needed reassurance. I owe my Reader, Dr. Jane M. Henrici, my deepest gratitude. In my first semester of graduate school, she inspired this topic and patiently read through early, very rough proposals. Not only did her instruction shape me into a much more astute and sensitive researcher, her constant encouragement helped me to believe in myself. I was fortunate to have the ideal combination of readers for this thesis. They have been superb mentors, exceptional teachers, and good friends. I owe a very special thanks to all of the staff and researchers at the Center for Policy Studies in Budapest. Thank you for warmly taking me in and for providing me not only with the opportunity to conduct most of the fieldwork for this thesis, but to expand my knowledge into more fields of study. This was the ideal place for a curious mind and dedicated researcher. I am very grateful for all that I learned during my time at CPS and hope that this research can contribute in some way. iv I am incredibly grateful for the inspiring participants of this research, who have been so kind and generous. Your perspectives have been deeply enriching, and I hope that this research may be of some use in future Hungarian rural development policies. My family and friends all played an invaluable role throughout this process. My sister has always been the greatest inspiration in my life. I am especially grateful that she kept reminding me that ‘this was only a thesis.’ I thank my mother and father, who always encouraged me and kindly listened to me trying to work through challenging questions. A very special thanks goes to my mother, who from a young age instilled in me a love of the Hermecz and Fodor families, a love which led me to Hungary, and a love that will last. And to the other love of my life, words fail to express how thankful I am for all the support and love you have given to me, especially during this process. Every day we talked about this thesis, probably much more than you would have liked. But you were always there, ready to listen and to offer your advice. To my best friend and my truest love, I thank you with all my heart. Because of your continuous help, we can now start a life together. v Abstract of Thesis Room for Growth: EU Gender Mainstreaming Policy in Hungarian Rural Development Increasing women’s leadership and labor are critical elements of rural development across Europe. European Commission (EC) regulations for the 2007-2013 rural development planning period state that equality between women and men must be promoted in all stages of rural development programming, yet do not set down specific regulations to monitor and ensure compliance. Hungary, with its considerable expenditures on rural development relative to other EU nations, presents an interesting case study of how supranational gender equality policies may be interpreted and translated at a national-level. Rural women in Hungary have distinctly limited opportunities in terms of leadership, educational attainment, labor, and entrepreneurship. However, national policies have not always directly addressed the needs of rural women, and as a result, programs may not remedy gender-based inequalities. Using mixed methods, this research examines how political constructions, invocations, and translations of gender affect rural women’s leadership, education, labor, and entrepreneurship. vi Table of Contents Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iv Abstract of Thesis .............................................................................................................. vi List of Figures .................................................................................................................. viii List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... ix List of Abbreviations .......................................................................................................... x Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Literature Review and Background ................................................................ 31 Chapter 3: Methodology ................................................................................................... 57 Chapter 4: Defining and Debating ‘Disadvantage’ ........................................................... 68 Chapter 5: Translating ‘Women’ and Gender in Projects ............................................... 118 Chapter 6: Discussion, Best Practices, and Recommendations ...................................... 150 Bibliography ................................................................................................................... 165 Appendices ...................................................................................................................... 193 vii List of Figures Figure 1.1 Regional Map of Hungary ................................................................................. 7 Figure 1.2 Gender Equality Continuum Tool from USAID IGWG (2012, 2) .................. 19 Figure 1.3: The 2007-2013 EU Rural Development Program .......................................... 24 Figure 4.1: Share of women in registered job seekers, 20 December 2012...................... 79 Figure 4.2: Share of unemployed women as registered job seekers over 180 days .......... 92 Figure 4.3: “There is a Key Role for Family Farmers” .................................................. 112 viii List of Tables Table 4.1: Employment Rates in Predominantly Urban and Rural Areas ........................ 78 Table 4.2: Unemployment Rates in Predominantly Urban and Rural Areas .................... 78 Table 4.3: Activity Rates of Rural and Urban Population ................................................ 80 Table 4.4: Regional Employment Rates by Educational Attainment and Sex ................. 82 Table 4.5: Educational Attainment of rural and urban population ................................... 83 Table 4.6 : Participation Rate (%) in Education and Training in Rural Areas ................. 84 Table 4.5: Farm Structure and Holdings in Hungary ........................................................ 91 Table 5.1: Women and Men Beneficiaries ..................................................................... 121 ix List of Abbreviations CAP - Common Agricultural Policy CEDAW - Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women DG AGRI - Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development EAFRD - European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development EC - European Commission EIGE - European Institute for Gender Equality EP - European Parliament EU - European Union FAO - Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations GAD - Gender and Development HCSO - Hungarian Central Statistical Office HNRN - Hungarian National Rural Network IFAD - International Fund for Agricultural Development LEADER - Liaison Entre Actions de Développement de l’Économie Rurale,’ [Links between the rural economy and development actions] LHH - Leghátrányosabb helyzetű kistérségek [The Most Disadvantaged Small Regions] LRDP - Local Rural Development Plan x OMC - Open Method of Coordination WEF - World Economic Forum WID - Women in Development UN - United Nations NRDP - National Rural Development Plan xi Chapter 1: Introduction Increasing women’s leadership and labor are critical elements of rural development across Europe (EU 2012; EU 2000). Nevertheless, and despite the fact that all European Union (EU) institutions are tasked with incorporating gender equality principles into all policy fields (EC 1999; EC 2006/54),1 the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)2 have fostered women’s participation only to a very limited extent. European Commission (EC) regulations for the 2007-2013 rural development planning period state that equality between women and men must be promoted in all stages of rural development programming,3 yet do not set down specific regulations to monitor and ensure compliance (EC 1698/2005, Article
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