Women’s Leadership and Participation Praise for the book ... ‘The absence of women’s voices in decisions which affect their lives is not only a problem for women but is usually a sign of unjust power relations that exclude many men as well. The eight case studies in this book drawn from around the world give rich, concrete insights into strategies for change in such situations – ones which effectively build women’s leadership and participa- tion in economic, social and political spheres. They illustrate how women are often at the forefront of change, not just to raise their own voices, but in so doing to create more just and democratic societies for others as well.’ John Gaventa, Professor, Participation, Power and Social Change team, Institute of Development Studies ‘As someone who has spent 20 years on Women’s Leadership and Participa- tion right around the world I very much welcome this new Oxfam Publica- tion. Its vivid case studies show how women can successfully raise their voices at local, national and international levels, essential for poverty alleviation and overcoming gender inequality. Excellent reading for civil servants in aid departments, NGOs, IGOs such as the UN, OECD, OSCE, World Bank – and everyone working for a better, saner and fairer world.’ Lesley Abdela, Senior Partner, Eyecatcher/Shevolution ‘This collection of innovations in supporting women’s engagement in politi- cal competition provides inspiring examples of how to accelerate the much- anticipated positive effects of increasing the numbers of women in politics. Under the right conditions, more women in public offi ce do deliver better governance for all. This volume provides us with inspiring guidance for build- ing gender equality into political life.’ Anne Marie Goetz, Chief Advisor, Governance Peace and Security, UNIFEM Women’s Leadership and Participation Case studies on learning for action Edited by Joanna Hoare and Fiona Gell Published by Practical Action Publishing Ltd in association with Oxfam GB. Practical Action Publishing Ltd Schumacher Centre for Technology and Development Bourton on Dunsmore, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV23 9QZ, UK www.practicalactionpublishing.org ISBN 978 1 85339 696 0 © Oxfam GB, 2009 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without the written permission of the publishers. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. The contributors have asserted their rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identifi ed as authors of their respective contributions. Since 1974, Practical Action Publishing (formerly Intermediate Technology Publications and ITDG Publishing) has published and disseminated books and information in support of international development work throughout the world. Practical Action Publishing Ltd (Company Reg. No. 1159018) is the wholly owned publishing company of Practical Action. Practical Action Publishing trades only in support of its parent charity objectives and any profi ts are covenanted back to Practical Action (Charity Reg. No. 247257, Group VAT Registration No. 880 9924 76). Oxfam is a registered charity in England and Wales (no 202918) and Scotland (SCO 039042). Oxfam GB is a member of Oxfam International. Oxfam GB, Oxfam House, John Smith Drive, Oxford, OX4 2JY, UK www.oxfam.org.uk Cover photo: Women piloting the Women’s Coastal Zone project arrive from their exposure visit to a marine sanctuary site in Pangasinan province, Philippines. Credit: Gaynor Tanyang 2007 Indexed by Andrea Palmer Typeset by S.J.I. Services Printed by Hobbs The Printers Ltd Printed on FSC 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper. Contents Boxes and fi gures vii Acknowledgements ix 1. Women’s leadership and participation: overview 1 Joanna Hoare and Fiona Gell 2. Pa Kite M Deyo! Don’t Leave Me Out! Haitian women demand their right to participate in public affairs 19 Kristie van Wetering 3. Creating the space to empower women fi shers: lessons from the Philippines 29 Aurora Urgel and Gaynor Tanyang 4. Strengthening the voices of women leaders: lessons from Cambodia 41 Menh Navy 5. Breaking the barriers: Sierra Leonean women on the march 51 Joanna Hoare 6. Raising voices: training for empowerment for women experiencing poverty in Britain 61 Sue Smith 7. Women’s leadership in economic change in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel 71 Joanna Hoare 8. Advocacy and national elections: women’s political participation in Honduras 81 Maite Matheu 9. Fighting for women’s rights in Chile: supporting women workers and promoting women’s political participation 93 Michael van Gelderen vi WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION 10. Useful resources 105 Joanna Hoare 11. Concluding update 115 Joanna Hoare Index 127 Boxes and fi gures Boxes 4.1 Challenging discrimination against women councillors 45 4.2 Pum Hoeun, second deputy of Angcheum commune, Tbaung Khmom district, Kampong Cham province 46 4.3 Duch Malin, chief of Yeang commune, Pourk district, Sieam Reap province 48 Figures 8.1 Honduras: women in national congress and in local governments 85 Acknowledgements Joanna Hoare and Fiona Gell co-edited this book. Joanna worked for Oxfam’s Publishing and Programme Policy teams between January 2006 and March 2008, including a year-long stint as acting editor on Gender & Development. She is currently working on a PhD in Development Studies at the School of Ori- ental and African Studies, University of London, and also works as a freelance editor and writer on gender and development issues. Fiona is a gender and development specialist who has worked for Oxfam GB for many years, most recently as a Global Gender Advisor. Her main areas of focus and interest have included gender in humanitarian work, women and leadership, and gender and organizational change. Katie Allan project managed this book. She is an editorial project manager at Oxfam GB, working on a wide range of campaigns, policy, and humanitarian publications. The Advisory Group for this project included the following Oxfam GB staff: Nkechi Eke Nwankwo, Alexandra Pura, Cecilia Millan, Jon Horsley, Jo Row- lands, and Sarah Totterdell. Mike Parkinson, Audrey Bronstein, and Sam Bick- ersteth commented on the text. Ines Smyth has been very involved in the recent development of Oxfam GB’s programming on women’s participation and leadership which produced much of the analysis underpinning this pub- lication. Nicholas Pialek supported the initial stages of conceptualizing the project. Caroline Sweetman provided support and advice on chapters. And Othman Mahmoud provided management oversight. Many thanks to all of these people whose contributions have been vital to the production of this book. CHAPTER 1 Women’s leadership and participation: overview Joanna Hoare and Fiona Gell Contributors: Caroline Sweetman, Ines Smyth, and Anna Coates Introduction Why support women’s participation and leadership? Throughout both the developing and the developed world, women carry a disproportionately high burden of poverty. This poverty is experienced not just as material deprivation, but also as marginalization, which means that those living in poverty often have no, or little opportunity to infl uence the political, economic, and social processes and institutions which control and shape their lives and keep them trapped in a cycle of poverty. For poor women, this experience of marginalization is effectively doubled: not only do they belong to communities that exist ‘on the edges of society’, but they are also often denied a voice within the states, markets, communities, and households in which they live, dominated as they are by men and male interests. This lack of voice functions as a critical factor in the maintenance of gender inequality and poverty, effectively blocking women’s access to deci- sion-making and agenda-setting processes, and beyond that, opportunities for leading these processes. This situation contributes to an invisibility of women as public actors and constitutes a negation of their rights to equal partici- pation. It also perpetuates a decision-making process which is less likely to represent women’s interests than a more representative system and which, therefore, possesses neither the vision nor the motivation to challenge or change unequal gender relations in society. Women’s equal participation and leadership in decision-making processes at every level and in every sector is therefore fundamental to attempts to elim- inate gender-based poverty. In order to challenge the unequal and ultimately unsustainable economic and social systems in which we live, and to secure the essential resources they need for dignifi ed and rewarding lives, it has been argued that women need ‘to be visible politically as women and be empowered to act in that capacity, because…they…have needs and attitudes on vital issues which differ from those of men’.1 Women’s presence in signifi cant numbers 2 WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION in elected bodies and in economic institutions can result in more equitable policy outcomes because it is likely to encourage policy makers to give more attention to issues affecting women, such as equal pay, better conditions of employment, child-care, violence against women, and unpaid labour.2 And economic policies are also more likely to acknowledge the value of unpaid caring work (most of which