Gender in Development Activities: Women in Development

Applying the aspects of gender in development activities usually mean including women in developmental projects. It is no longer an issue of being "a man's world" especially when you are talking about progress. Women are capable of doing things that men are just as capable of doing including participation in nation-building. So might as well give it to them.

Some of the pointers provided in this article would be based from the Gender in Development module sourced from the Canada Nepal Gender in Organizations training package. These modules were used in the Philippine National Gender and Development Conference held last January 2015 at Surigao City, Caraga Region, Philippines.

Do you live in a community where you are allowed to participate in community development? If you are a man, that is slightly expected. If you are a woman, much better because it meant that your contribution in whatever way you could possibly think of is appreciated. When there is division of labor and you have several members of the community ready to participate, everyone benefits from their own contributions.

Some communities exclude the women from getting into such activities, claiming that much of the workload is intended for men. Then again, there are several kinds of projects where women are not allowed not because of sexism but because, well, just imagine women mixing cement and carrying hollow blocks when participating in a housing project, for example.

Sounds like an extreme example? It does not always happen but society already has its limiting set of expectations. This is when it becomes a pressure for men to be the knights in shining armor. Just because they let the women participate in activities not normal for women to be seen in, it is already less chivalrous for them. But that's society for you. And men like being valiant in situations like these. So once the men has taken all the heavy-duty tasks, the women are left to sweep the streets and, sometimes, cook the meals as volunteers (because most community development projects rely on volunteers, not catered food). The meals are served in between breaks.

Good thing women are now allowed to be engineers and architects. They may not have outnumbered the men yet in most offices but it's already a good start. They earned professional licenses to work in government and participate in community development as well. Eventually, social work is no longer the only governmental department where women in executive positions are seen.

There is so much to learn when it comes to women in development and I admit that what I know at the moment is not enough. Maybe it will never be enough. But I don't see myself stopping from learning either. This is crucial now that that 2015 Philippine Women Human Rights Defenders Training is already less than a month away. And I will be needing your donations for me to make it there.

We would like to ask that you consider becoming one of our donors to help fund our representatives for the upcoming 2015 Philippine Human Rights Defenders Training on May 27-30 at Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines. Funding will be for the conference like registration fee, plane tickets, accommodation and miscellaneous fees. Click here for further details on how you can help. Thank you very much.