SOCIAL DIMENSION:GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT

An important social dimension of development is gender – which refers to the social norms that defines roles, rights, responsibilities, and obligations of men and women in a society. Promoting gender equality in development is not only a moral or human rights issue; it is also recognized as fundamental to poverty reduction, sustainable development and environmental conservation (World Bank 2001: Women and the Environment, UNEP and WEDO 2004).

Global statistics shows how female labor force in developing countries has grown from 1970 to 2004. In 1970, 21% of women labor force were limited as garment factory workers and bound in cottage industries. By 2004, percenatge of women labor force doubled as doors opened in fields of medicine, health services, engineering and other industries that was pre-dominated by male labor force.

 In just three decades (1960 – 1990), gender equality in primary and secondary eduction significantly improved. At present, some exclusive school for boys had grasped the idea of going COED. Perfect example is the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, I entered SJLC SY 1986 – 87. It was still then an exclusive school for boys with a maximum of 45 students per section. In high school, I remembered ratio was reduced to maximum of 30 students per section. It was 2009, I was saddened to learn that my beloved alma mater gone COED. As per my former Science teacher, male enrollees had dropped tremendously that ratio sloped down to maximum of 20 students per section. The administration saw great demand and potential of female crowd for eductaion, thus, they opted of going COED.

Asia is known for its important female political leaders, including presidents and prime ministers who have come to power: Late former Philippine President Corazon C. Aquino; Prime Minister Khaleda Zia – First female prime minister of Bangladesh; Prime Minister Yingluck Shinwatra – First female prime minister of Thailand and former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of Philippines.

Despite efforts to promote Gender and Development, existing persistent gender inequality is evident around the world: 900 million illiterate people in the world, women outnumbered men with ratio 2 to 1. 1.3 billion people living in poverty line, 70% are women. Half a million women die each year from complications due to pregnancy. Soon one in four (and one in five men) may be infected with HIV/AIDS in countries where the pandemic is spreading rapidly. In developing countries, women’s wages are 30% to 40% lower than those of men for comparable work.

Since 1975, there had been four world conferences on women sponsored by the UN, in which governments and international organizations have reviewed their progress toward gender equality and have made policy commitments to further reduce gender gaps and improve women’s opportunities and rights. The Fourth World Conference on Women held in beijing in 1995 identified 12 critical areas of concern among the world’s women: poverty, health, education, violence, armed conflict, the economy, decision making, human rights, media, the environment, the girl-child, and the national and international machinery. Since 1975, most national governments have established policies and action plans to promote gender equality, and have set up mechanisms to implement these policies and plans, including separate ministries or departments, government-wide commissions and networks of gender and development.

As mentioned, gender equality is fundamental to poverty reduction, sustainable development and environmental conservation for the reason that as the majority of the world’s poor, women play decisive roles in managing and preserving biodiversity, water, land, and other natural resources, yet their centrality is often ignored or exploited. The contributions of women’s organizations are particularly noticeable in three environmental areas: Biodiversity -Because of their traditional roles in gathering forest and bush products for food, medicine, religious, and other uses, may rural women have in-depth knowledge of their natural environments, especially in indigenous communities. Women farmers in many agrarian societies are also responsible for the selection and saving of seeds, and they manage home gardens including a diversity of species. However, researchers and extension workers aften fails to take women’s traditional knowledge of plant varieties into account, and a number of forces are eroding or undermining this rich knowledge base. Water Resource Management -Women and men generally have different roles related to water and water systems, and therefore tend to have different stakes in water use. For example, in rural areas women and girls generally collect water for household use, and also for raising small livestock, for home gardens and for microenterprise activities. Although men generally manage irrigation facilities, women often contribute to the operation and maintenance of these facilities. Despite their important roles in water use, women have not traditionally been included in national or local decision making related to water management. However, in response to advocacy by women’s organizations and networks, a number of countries have recently integrated a gender perspective in their water laws and policies. Desertification - In dryland ecosystems, women as well as men have developed essential skills and practices to survive under challenging conditions. Environmental degredation places and extra burden on women, who must walk farther and farther to collect water, food and fuel. Women also have to take on additional responsibilities when their husbands migrate for work. Yet women in many dryland societies have low status and limited rights, and this subordination is further reinforced by land conservation and development programs that exclude them.