Abstract
Aruna Rao looks at how change is happening through the daily grind of gender equality activists. She argues that in order to achieve basic development objectives we need both better delivery and better accountability for a range services to women – not just education and health, but also agricultural extension, land registration and property protection, regulation of labour markets, and safety. She also argues that institutional insiders and outsiders need to support each others’ different but complementary roles as change agents.
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Notes
For an insightful analysis of the need to support these agents see Goetz (2004). For a scathing critique of gender mainstreaming see McFadden (2004).
For conceptual tools to aid in designing measuring instruments and processes, see Rao and Kelleher (2005); and Making the Case produced by the Women's Funding Network.
Tools to aid in building strong organizations exist such as Smart Growth that is aimed at enabling women's organizations to benchmark overall life stage and key organizational capacities over time and plan strategically for moving forward.
References
Clisby, S (2005) ‘Gender Mainstreaming or Just More Male-streaming? Experiences of Popular Participation in Bolivia’, Gender and Development 13(2): 23–36.
Goetz, AM (2004) ‘Reinvigorating Autonomous Feminist Spaces’, IDS Bulletin 35(4): 137–140.
Kusakabe, K (2005) ‘Gender Mainstreaming in Government Offices in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos: Perspectives from below’, Gender and Development 13(2): 46–57.
McFadden, P (2004) ‘Why Feminist Autonomy Right Now?’, from FITO Fringe Feminist Forum http://www.fito.co.za.
Moser, C and Moser, A (2005) ‘Gender Mainstreaming Since Beijing: A review of success and limitations in international institutions’, Gender and Development 13(2): 11–23.
Rao, A and Kelleher, D (2005) ‘Is There Life After Gender Mainstreaming?’ Gender and Development 13(2): 57–70.
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Rao, A. Making Institutions Work for Women. Development 49, 63–67 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.development.1100207
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.development.1100207