Film: Gender Matters and
Discussion on Gender and Development (GAD)
The Social Construction of Gender:
"Gender is a social construct. It is what
culture and society make of the fact that you are a man or a woman.
Just as class is what societies make of the divisions of wealth and labor,
and just as class differences lie at the heart of unequal life experiences,
so does gender."
QUESTION: To what extent do you feel gender differences
are socially constructed?
Increasing the Income of Women:
"While a change in intra-household income patterns
may lead to a change in gender relations within a household, it cannot
be concluded that this will result in the improved status of women.
Not only is such an equation between income and status predicated upon
a dominantly Western view, it also fails to recognize that the factors
determining women's status may be culturally specific and multidimensional
rather than unidimensional" (Koczberski, 1998: 399).
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What are some of the "multidimensional" factors that determine the status
of women.
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To what extent is a change in income patterns necessary for increasing
the status of women?
"Homogenizing Third World Women":
"When the spotlight of aid institutions shifted
to women, a category was created that standardized and homogenized Third
World women. Under this label, 'Third World women' all have the same
needs and interests, and all are seen as equally disadvantaged. By
ignoring inequalities between women, WID attempts at encouraging participatory
development projects based on the notion of common needs and goals are
fraught with problems" (Koczberski, 1998: 402).
QUESTION: What can be done to counteract against "homogenizing"
women within a community?