“Gender Equality Is Still a Vision, Not a Reality.”
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“Gender equality is still a vision, not a reality.” A case study on the use of gender mainstreaming in SIDA's assistance in climate projects in Bangladesh. Bachelor thesis Authors: Pernilla Gustafsson Tove Hestner Tutor: Heiko Fritz Examinator: Susanne Alldén Subject: Peace and Development Level: Bachelor Term: VT20 Course code: 2FU33E Abstract Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change and as one of the world's most densely populated countries, the consequences are devastating for millions of people, not least for women who have limited mobility in a strong patriarchal society like Bangladesh (Momtaz, Shameem, 2015). Sweden has a well-known development cooperation with the country that has lasted for several decades. For a long time, SIDA has, on behalf of the government, developed projects in the country to promote both gender equality and climate issues. The purpose of this study is to critically examine SIDA, the Swedish aid authority, how they work with the gender mainstreaming in environmental projects in Bangladesh. The study uses a specific environmental project in Bangladesh that spans a large geographical area across the country. Primary data are semi-structured interviews in combination with official documents developed by SIDA. The sample of interviewees is a snowball selection and the respondents consist of relevant NGOs working in the environmental project as well as individuals employed by SIDA who have expertise in the various areas relevant to the thesis. The results will be analyzed based on our analytical framework on gender integration and how to adapt the integration at different stages in development work to achieve this process. Finally, the study will examine how Swedish aid works with the gender mainstream in the climate program in Bangladesh, and then we will conclude how to use the tools available. The conclusion presents an overall picture of how SIDA uses the gender mainstream for overall purposes and has tools for development, but that the human factor plays a big role in the management work with environmental projects if it is as well integrated as it should be. Keywords: gender mainstreaming, women, Bangladesh, SIDA, development work, climate, NGO 1 (57) Acknowledgement We would like to thank the interviewees at SIDA that took time to participate in this study. We also would like to say thank you to all the organisations in Bangladesh that participant in this study. A extra thanks to our contact person in Bangladesh that helped us with the preparations for our field study, and that helped us with new arrangements when the field study was cancelled due to covid-19. Without you all this study would not have been possible. We want to dedicate a special thanks to our tutor Professor Heiko Fritz, that from start encouraged us to continue the work even if the field study was canceled. This helped us from not being able to go on the field study to adapt the study to what it is today. Thank you to Jonas Ewald and Manuela Nilsson as well, professors at Peace and Development program, for the support when the field study was cancelled. And last but not least, we give a big thanks to each other. We have supported and motivated each other when our plans to go to Bangladesh were canceled. We have also encouraged and inspired each other in the writing process. After months of essay writing, we still haven't get tired of each other's company. 2 (57) Table of contents 1. Introduction 5 1.2 Relevance 6 1.3. Research problem 7 1.4 Research ambition 7 1.5 Research question 7 2. Literature review 7 2.1 Women and climate work 8 2.2 Gender mainstream in development work 9 2.3 Swedish aid to Bangladesh 9 3. Analytical framework 10 3.1 Gender Mainstreaming 10 3.2 Gender Mainstreaming in development work 11 3.3 Macro-Policy/Sector Policy Cycle 11 3.4 The annual budget cycle 12 3.5 Aid Cycle 14 3.6 Project cycle 14 4. Methodology 15 4.1 Case study 16 4.2 Sample and interviewees 17 4.3 The Interview process 17 4.4 Limitations and Delimitations 18 4.6 Ethical considerations 20 4.7 Method discussion 21 5. Background 22 5.1 Swedish international development cooperation agency (SIDA) 22 5.2 Climate situation in Bangladesh 23 5.3 Women's role in Bangladesh 23 5.4 Non-governmental organizations role in Bangladesh 24 5.5 Swedish feminist foreign policy 24 6. Findings 25 6.1 Gender Mainstreaming 25 6.1.1 Organisations 25 6.1.2 SIDA 26 6.2 Macro-Policy/Sector Policy Cycle 28 6.2.1 Organisations 28 6.2.2 SIDA 29 6.3 Annual Budget cycle 30 6.3.1 Organisations 30 3 (57) 6.3.2 SIDA 30 6.4 Aid cycle 31 6.4.1 Organisations 32 6.4.2 SIDA 32 6.5 Project cycle 34 6.5.1 Organisations 34 6.5.2 SIDA 35 7. Analysis 36 7.1 Gender Mainstreaming 37 7.2 Macro-Policy/Sector Policy Cycle 38 7.3 Annual Budget Cycle 39 7.4 Aid Cycle 40 7.5 Project Cycle 42 8. Conclusion 43 9. Bibliography 46 Appendix 49 1. Interview guides 49 1.1 Interview guide, organizations in Bangladesh 49 1.2 Interview guide SIDA 51 2. Presentation of interviewees 54 4 (57) 1. Introduction All around the world we can see the impacts of climate change and in one way or another we are all impacted. However, there are parts of the world that are more vulnerable than others and Bangladesh is one of those parts (Rahman, 2013). Bangladesh is considered one of the most vulnerable countries in the world when it comes to climate change (ibid). The organisation Germanwatch stated in their report Global Climate Risk Index 2020 (2019) that Bangladesh in the 7th most affected country in the world in relation to climate change between the years of 1999-2018. There is a tendency that the most vulnerable communities and groups are the ones that suffer the most when disasters hit, this is why women are the most affected when it comes to climate change. This is partly due to social norms, lack of access to resources, information, and decision-making power (SIDA, 2016). This is an issue that has its roots in gender inequality and therefore needs to be addressed as such (ibid). In 2017 Bangladesh was ranked 134 out of 162 countries on the Gender Inequality Index (GII) by UNDP which shows the great inequalities between men and women in Bangladesh (UNDP, n.d). With Bangladesh being a developing country there are several donors and international organizations that are involved in the development in the country (Rahman, 2013). Sweden has a history of development cooperation in Bangladesh since its independence in 1971 (SIDA, 2019a). The Swedish International Cooperation Agency (SIDA) have for a long time had gender equality and gender mainstreaming as one of their main targets in all their work, where gender mainstreaming is a strategy to achieve gender equality. In 2014 the Swedish government announced its Feminist Foreign policy which made gender equality an even more prioritized area in development work and cooperation. A action plan for 5 (57) the Feminist Foreign Policy starts by saying that “Gender equality is still a vision, not a reality” (Utrikesdepartementet, 2015). The rapid change that is happening with climate change in Bangladesh will call for adaptation to the situation and with a patriarchal society like in Bangladesh, there is a chance that women are getting left behind once again in the process. Here it becomes very important to make sure that donor countries like Sweden, that deem themselves at the forefront in gender equality, are actually using gender mainstreaming in their climate projects. Furthermore it is important to review how well this can be seen from the very top with our feminist foreign policy all the way down to the civil society organizations in Bangladesh that are implementing the climate projects. 1.2 Relevance To achieve sustainable and positive peace, the inclusion of women will be crucial. Today, Sweden is one of the few countries that meets the UN's requirement to provide more than 0.7% of its GNI to aid, in fact, Sweden contributes with 1% of the country's GNI (SIDA, 2020). SIDA finances development projects around the world at the Swedish government's request. Reviewing whether Swedish aid to development work includes women at all stages of the process is of high relevance for sustainable development as well as peace prevention work. It is highly relevant to study SIDA's work on integrating gender mainstreaming into an environmental project in Bangladesh due to both of these areas need urgent attention and is a part of the Sustainable Development Goals (UN, n.d). Sweden is also a country that is considered to be taking the lead on gender equality but we do not know much on how we actually do the work and what we do outside of the Swedish borders. 6 (57) Bangladesh is a country whose development has moved rapidly towards a middle-income country but is severely affected by climate change (SIDA, 2019a) Their society has long been characterized by harsh patriarchal structures in society. In order to achieve sustainable development and maintain peace, both men and women need to be included in development work financed by SIDA. The result of this research can be used within all aid organizations to examine how to implement gender mainstreaming in development work. 1.3. Research problem Due to women’s gendered roles in the Bangladeshi community, it makes them more vulnerable to climate change and while many countries focus their aid to address climate issues and gender issues there is a need to see how well they are combined.