WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH CENTRE (KANITA)

KANITA30 years+ of history

1978: Research Project

Women & Human Resource Studies

Unit

Women’s Development

Research Centre

Sustainable Development

Economic & social

Development(empowerment)

Policy &Law

Family

GENDER MAINSTREAMING

KANITA’S Core Areas

E m p o w e r m e n t

Health

GENDER EQUALITY

Media

MAIN ACTIVITIES

Research AcademicIntellectual discoursesConsultancy and capacity-buildingNetworking and advocacy

MAIN ACTIVITIES

Research: >> Focus on gender and women’s development

(but not limited) > social development impact

> policy development impact > academic development impact

>> Strategic research i.e areas which can have policy implications or not researched before

MAIN ACTIVITIESExamples under research university grant:

a) A country level study on women’s well being and domestic violence against women

b) A study of enforcement and justice agencies within the legal framework of domestic violence in Malaysia

c) Empowering women through micro-credit: A gender analysis of empowerment

d) Developing a theoretical model of collective action for empowerment of Malaysian women’s organisation

e) Theorizing the welfares state: Health system in transition

f) Single women and single mothers: A study of the construction of gender roles and identity

g) Developing a local-based theoretical understanding of domestic violence against wives

h) Gender mainstreaming and corporate social responsibility

Continued…

i) Marriage and divorce in Malaysia: Factoring in cultural and religion (Collaboration with ARI, NUS)

j) State boundaries, cultural politics and gender negotiations in commercially arranged marriages in Singapore and Malaysia (Collaboration with ARI, NUS)

k) A study on the impact of polygamy on the quality of life among Muslims in Malaysia (in collaboration with Sisters in Islam)

Continued…

WHY GENDER CLUSTER

1. Gender is a cross-cutting issue which cuts across every field e.g. Engineering, Social Sciences, Education, HBP, Management, Health, Computer, etc

2. Gender lens fits USM’s vision>> interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and trans-disciplinary research

3. Offers different perspectives and expertise on common issues that benefit the “bottom billion.”

4. It’s a new framework in development >> policies, programs are not gender neutral

Research Rethinking assumptions/ rethinking practice Gender perspective (routine practices) Gender neutral (outcome benefit for both gender) vs gender specific

(outcome to meet the necessity one )

1. Conceptual clarification

2. Presenting Concept and Framework on GLIDE

3. Follow- up with potential schools to collaborate

4. Launching GLIDE

GLIDE is Interdisciplinary & Transdiciplinary

Gender Equality: A Cornerstone of Development

Gender equality is, first and foremost, a human right. Women are entitled to live in dignity and in freedom from want and from fear. Empowering women is also an indispensable tool for advancing development.

(UNFPA, 2008)

KEYWORDSG- GenderL- LivelihoodsI- (In)equality D- DevelopmentE- Empowerment

Development

xHealthICT

Livelihood

GENDER

EMPOWERMENT(IN)EQUALITY

-Access

-Opportunity

-Result

-Law and policy

-Rights

-Governance (CEDAW)

GENDERGender, unlike sex, is a social constructHence, access and control of resoruces are

different >> gender inequalityPractical and strategic needsPolicy, resources more likely to overlook the

needs of marginalize groups, e.g. women, children, poor household, etc.

A more Gender equitable society >> gender equality

(IN) Equality Gender discrimination is pervasive. While the degrees

and forms of inequality may vary, women and girls are deprived of equal access to resources, opportunities and political power in every region of the world.

If poverty is to become history, then gender inequality must first be eliminated. Bold initiatives and unflinching determination are required to end individual and institutional gender discrimination.

Attitudes, customs and values that are detrimental to women and girls must be confronted. No history, legacy, religion or cultural tradition can justify inequality and disempowerment.

(UNICEF, 2008)

(In)Equality

Gender Inequality or Equality?What is the standard by which the

achievement of gender equality is to be judged

It is a rights based issue-women and men should have equal rights (entitlements and opportunities)

But question is whether women should be treated the same as all men without consideration of their differences

Definition of empowerment Different levels of empowerment: I. Individual: >> autonomy >> control >> bodily integrity >> decision-makingII. Social relations: >> negotiation >> access and control of resources >> decision-making >> negotiationIII. Collective activity, solidarity networks, political leverage and becomes a movement.

(ESCAP (1994) Women in Asia and the Pacific, 1985-

1993)

Definition of empowerment

Empowerment generally refers to the recognition that women legitimately have the ability and should, individually and collectively, participate effectively in decision-making processes that shape their societies and their own lives.

OECD, 1998

.

CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATIONCONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATION

What is DEVELOPMENT?

Economic development?

Social development?

Human development?

development?

Economic Planning Unit,Prime Minister’s Department,

Malaysia

DEVELOPMENT• Economic development

• Social development

• Human development

• Closing the gap between the rich and the poor

• To reduce gender inequity

• To reduce gender inequality

Capability Approach (CA) in Development

The CA places people at the centre of the development process

People are regarded as the primary ends as well as the principal means of development.

In particular the CA recognises that well-being is multidimensional and embraces the full range of ‘doings’ and ‘beings’ that contribute to a good form of life.

Well-being should be measured not according to what individuals actually do (functioning) but what they can do (capability)

The expansion of women's capabilities not only enhances women's own freedom and well-being, but also has many other effects on the lives of all- - men as well as women, children as well as adults. (Sen, 2001)

Continued…

Gender and Development

A process to change the balance of power, transforming lives and societies

Gender lens is taken on board and need to do gender analysis

Development process not gender neutral and may affect women and men differently

SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS What are livelihoods approaches?

Livelihoods approaches are a way of thinking about the objectives, scope and priorities for development

>> place people and their priorities at the centre of development.

>> focus poverty reduction interventions on empowering the poor to build on their own opportunities, supporting their access to assets, and developing an enabling policy and institutional environment.

Core to livelihoods approaches are a set of principles that underpin best practice in any development intervention:

People-centred Responsive and participatory Multi-level

Continued…

Examples of Livelihoods

i. ICT for development

ii. Agriculture

iv. Health iii. Water and Sanitation

v. Other Tentative Areas: a. Migrationb. Natural Resource Management

Sustainable Livelihoods

TOOL:Gender Analysis for Sustainable Livelihoods Framework

Example 1: Sharing the caring

Focus on the chronically ill

a)Gender roles in caregiving (class, resources)b)Policy implications (extension of healthcare)c)Economics (cost, time, jobs, pathway to

poverty, single mothers and loss of employment opportunities

d)NGOs & community; politics of caring (governance)

e)Technology / equipment for chronically ill (eg bathing equipment)

Trans-disciplinary collaboration:

KANITA

Health & Medical Sciences (compliance, healthcare, training)

Social Sciences

Management

Engineering & Technology(equipment)

Pharmacy (accessibility to drugs)

Humanities (language & literature of caring; geography : spaces for caring)

Communications (media portrayal & language used to cover caring cases)

Housing, Building & Planning (layout, accessibility)

Other examples:

1. Environment : development, health, livelihood, renewable resources (alternative fuel sources (eg solar energy)

Trans-disciplinary collaboration:Housing Building Planning,

Biological sciences,

Social Science,

Humanities,

CENPRIS,

Management,

School of Distance Learning,

Health,

Engineering (Sungai & Saliran),

Oceanography

2. Religious conflict : impact of religion on gender, empowerment and inequality (eg divorce, interfaith and mixed race marriages, polygamy), unequal power structures

Trans-disciplinary collaboration:Humanities, Education, Communications, Social Science, CENPRIS, School of Distance Learning, Management

3. Poverty : tackling poverty by focusing on inequality

Trans-disciplinary collaboration: Humanities,

Education,

Communications,

Social Science,

CENPRIS,

School of Distance Learning,

Management

4. Politics and social contract : governance, rights of minorities, gender inequality and empowerment of women, related to caring

Transdisciplinary collaboration:Humanities,

Education,

Communications,

Social Science,

CENPRIS,

School of Distance Education,

Management

5. ICT: Social issues in ICT

Women’s participation in ICT-based enterprise, globalisation, labor, history, media, to bridge the digital divide; to build capacity so that local people can create local content for news broadcasting; how community groups can build skills in video making in order to communicate health information

Transdisciplinary collaboration:

KANITA

Computer sciences

Social Sciences

Humanities

Business school

Engineering