Mainstreaming Gender in Development A Critical Review Edited by Fenella Porter and Caroline Sweetman O Oxfam The books in Oxfam's Focus on Gender series were originally published as single issues of the journal Gender and Development, which is published by Oxfam three times a year. It is the only European journal to focus specifically on gender and development issues internationally, to explore the links between gender and development initiatives, and to make the links between theoretical and practical work in this field. For information about subscription rates, please apply to Routledge Publishing, T & F Informa UK Ltd., Sheepen Place, Colchester, Essex, OC3 3LP, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 207 017 5544; Fax: +44 (0) 207 017 5198. In North America, please apply to Routledge Publishing, Taylor and Francis Inc., Customer Services Department, 325 Chestnut Street, 8th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA; Fax +1 800821 8312. 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This book converted to digital file in 2010 Contents Editorial 2 Fenella Porter and Caroline Sweetman Gender mainstreaming since Beijing: a review of success and limitations in international institutions 11 Caroline Moser and Annalise Moser Gender mainstreaming or just more male-streaming? Experiences of popular participation in Bolivia 23 Suzanne Clisby Freedom for women: mainstreaming gender in the South African liberation struggle and beyond 36 Shamim Meer Gender mainstreaming in government offices in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos: perspectives from below 46 Kyoko Kusakabe Is there life after gender mainstreaming? 57 Aruna Rao and David Kelleher Re-thinking gender mainstreaming in African NGOs and communities 70 Senorina Wendoh and Tina Wallace Strategic gender mainstreaming in Oxfam GB 80 Elsa Dawson NGOs, gender mainstreaming, and urban poor communities in Mumbai 90 Vandana Desai Resources 99 Compiled by Kanika Lang Publications 99 Websites 107 Electronic resources 108 Organisations 111 Editorial Fenella Porter and Caroline Sweetman ender mainstreaming has been Different contributions focus on inter- defined as 'a strategy which aims to national, national or local levels, and within Gbring about gender equality and government and NGOs. We believe that a advance women's rights by infusing decade after gender mainstreaming entered gender analysis, gender-sensitive research, the development lexicon,1 this reflection and women's perspectives and gender equality analysis is critical. What are the barriers goals into mainstream policies, projects and against and facilitating factors in favour of institutions' (Association for Women's ensuring development in the interests of Rights in Development 2004,1). women? Does gender mainstreaming in Caroline Moser and Annalise Moser (in development organisations deserve its poor this issue) suggest that many development image among many in the international organisations have followed the definition women's movement? set out by the UN Economic and Social Council: Integrationist and agenda- Mainstreaming a gender perspective is the setting approaches to process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including mainstreaming legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas Rounaq Jahan, a researcher into gender and at all levels. It is a strategy for making mainstreaming, found it helpful to distinguish women's as well as men's concerns and between two kinds of mainstreaming: experiences an integral dimension of the design, integrationist and agenda-setting (Jahan implementation, monitoring and evaluation of 1995,13). policies and programmes in all political, economic Jahan suggests that integationist and societal spheres so that women and men approaches, which began during the UN benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated. Decade for Women 1976-85, aim to integrate The ultimate goal is to achieve gender equality women, as well as men, into the existing (1997, 28). development framework. Integration leads Contributors to this collection of articles to a focus on women as a marginalised were briefed to look very critically at how group; as people with additional or special gender mainstreaming has been carried out interests. Male interests remain viewed as in organisations involved in the develop- the norm. This approach has been criticised ment process, to assess the difference that by feminists as amounting to a recipe in gender mainstreaming has made, and to which an extra ingredient is added: 'add suggest ways of overcoming the challenges. women and stir'. Yet the end result of the Editorial recipe, and the cooking method, remain up in the UN International Women's Year basically the same. This form of gender (1975) as equality, development, and peace. mainstreaming can be seen in the welfare, The ideal of economic development which anti-poverty, and efficiency approaches to does not occur at the expense of equality and women in development (WID), which were peace is still unrealised. Many argue that identified by Moser (1989). Women are the such ideals have been distorted in the focus of concern because they are perceived process of integration of gender issues into as an especially needy target group, and /or the pre-existing mandates, ideologies, and because of the contribution they can make to procedures of development organisations development that is directed by develop- (Kardam 1993; Miller 1998). ment organisations which are intrinsically What is the answer? Should we forget 'male-biased' (Elson 1991). This sort of gender mainstreaming, or should we approach is politically conservative, ignoring continue the struggle to achieve what Jahan unequal gender power relations, often describes as a more radical, agenda-setting misunderstanding the existing economic kind of gender mainstreaming? In place of role of women in so-called developing integration, Jahan suggests that trans- countries. formatory gender mainstreaming is also The interests that women share as possible. This aims to 'transform... the members of a sub-dominant social group existing development agenda' (Jahan 1995). have been labelled 'strategic gender interests' Transformation starts from a gender analysis by Molyneux (1985), indicating interests of inequalities between women and men, through which women can achieve change which understands gender relations as in their overall position in society. Such intersecting with relations of race and class, to interests have been furthered through equity create context-specific locations of inequality. approaches to women in development If development organisations carry out (Moser 1989), which aim to transform law, gender analysis in this way, new priorities customs, and institutional procedures so emerge naturally. Development programmes that these no longer discriminate against would be informed by an awareness of the women on grounds of sex. Women's interests political causes of women's marginalisation, may also be served by empowerment and a commitment to support social trans- approaches, which aim to support women at formation by challenging gender inequality. community level to further their own For example, the practical problems of strategic gender interests, as well as to poverty faced by female-headed households further their more immediate practical in rural areas of Africa are shown in gender interests by obtaining sufficient resources to analysis to be