This thesis examines the varied and contradictory ideas about rural women and their needs that are produced and circulate within development discourses and projects. It pays particular attention to the multiple actors involved in the production of such ideas and the relations of power that determine which ideas gain authority. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in the Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh, India, it looks at women's participation in three different development projects: a women's savings and credit group, a broad-based development NGO, and the women's village organizations (mahila mandals ). These case studies demonstrate how development organizations engage with local gender meanings, often working to reinforce or even exploit inequalities, rather than challenge them. As women are targeted by such projects, they creatively receive, shape, and negotiate the ideas and representations that they encounter about themselves. These encounters limit, and sometimes foster, women's potential for new political identities and agency.

Rural women play significant roles in both food and cash crop production, however, the majority of them lack access to productive resources, including information. To enhance the process of development and to ensure that rural women participate in and benefit from rural development processes, it is important that productive resources such as land, technology and information are made accessible to them. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which rural women access gender and development information. It therefore investigated how the rural information delivery system is organised and operates in order to gain an understanding of the factors which hamper the accessibility of information to the majority of rural women. This understanding will enable rural development planners and information professionals to design and implement information services which are accessible to all members of the rural community. In conducting this study in the Tanga region of Tanzania, a sample of 773 households was drawn from an estimated 155,863 households to acquire a sample of rural women. A structured interview protocol was used to collect data from the rural women. A total of 64 human information providers out of a total of 90 targeted to be included in the study, was interviewed. Data was also collected through document reviews and informal discussion with key informants at regional and district levels as well as through personal observations during field work. The findings of the study indicate that at least 40 percent of rural women are still functionally illiterate and at least 30 percent head rural households. Tt:1e majority of them still live in poverty with limited incomes. On the other hand the information providers are predominantly male, constituting a male/female ratio of 3: 1. The information needs of rural women are practical and strategic in nature. Information providers used are mainly friends and relatives, village leaders, health extension workers and hospitals and clinics. The communications used in information exchange processes are oral in nature with face to face communication being the main channel used. Formal sources of information such as printed and audio-visual sources are rarely used. Furthermore, this study has shown that socio-economic factors impact on levels of access and use of information providers. Information made accessible to women is mainly health information, followed by community affairs which is mainly about community problems discussed at village meetings. Very few women benefit from rural training programmes and information on development projects because these are limited to specific project areas. Information delivered is therefore not adequate to satisfy rural women's needs whereas information accessed is moderately relevant as far as their health information needs are concerned. The main barriers to rural women's access to information include: workload, attitudes of information providers, customs and traditions and non availability of other sources such as printed and audio-visual sources, as well as low income and relatively low education levels of women. This study has identified several weaknesses in the rural information delivery system which need to be addressed. It is therefore recommended that in order to make information readily accessible to the majority of women, there is a need (i) to formulate gender sensitive policies and institute mechanisms for implementation, which should include the training of information providers in gender issues in services-provision; (ii) to make available adequate financial resources to support rural information seryices; (iii) to use a variety of sources of information to cater for ; the heterogenous needs of users; (iv) to have a political will not only to address gender issues but also to sensitize entire rural communities to gender issues. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.

Gender equality and the participation ofwomen is emphasised in the South African Land Reform Programme. At the same time, the programme is also premised on the group ownership and management of the land. As such, the land reform is often operationalised through community based legal entities, which usually take the form of Trusts and Communal Property Associations. The Department ofLand Affairs encourages communities to elect women to these bodies, on the assumption that this involvement ofwomen will translate into gender sensitive planning and management on the part of these entities. Through the examination ofthree Land Trusts in KwaZulu Natal, this paper seeks to establish the validity of such an assumption in light of the patriarchy that often exists in rural areas. The focus of the paper is whether the dynamics inherent in these communities, and the entities they have formed, allow women to participate in decision making in a manner sufficient to achieve the ideals of equity inscribed in governmental policy. In addressing this question, the dissertation examines (i) how women are involved in the Trusts (ii) the implications of their involvement (iii) whether the increasingly popular concept of social capital provides a useful tool in understanding the issues that arise around the participation of women in the entities. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, 1999.

This dissertation examines the participation of women and NGOs in a rural development and empowerment project in India. The World Bank initiated Rural Women’s Development and Empowerment Project was funded with the primary objective of working towards women’s economic and social empowerment through the formation of self-help groups. Within the framework of Gender and Development (GAD), women’s development and participation has to fulfil both practical and strategic gender needs in order for them to gain, share and exercise power. In women’s development, the economic cannot be understood apart from the social and the political. Transformative or genuine participation for women involves a process of partnership where one or more forms of power are attained through social capital and the participants are able to surmount structural barriers. Genuine participation can be achieved only through the processes of partnership and control, that is, through the building of equitable relationships among the primary beneficiaries themselves and between the primary beneficiaries and external agents. The incentives to participate and the pattern of participation are influenced by the material expectations and the social reality of women. (For complete abstract open document)

Fundação Araucária / O estudo pretende analisar as relações de gênero no meio rural e como a sua organização social e econômica tem auxiliado na transformação das relações de poder no espaço doméstico e público. A pesquisa utilizou a abordagem dos meios de vida e procurou identificar como essas estratégias influenciaram a transformação das relações sociais e econômicas de um grupo de mulheres no meio rural, bem como, utilizou-se da abordagem do feminismo descolonial para compreender suas formas de resistência. A construção da pesquisa ocorreu por meio de procedimentos qualitativos e quantitativos de análise, procurando apresentar um caráter interdisciplinar tanto na metodologia de coleta quanto na análise dos dados. O trabalho de campo consistiu na realização de um estudo de caso em uma associação de sete mulheres que compõe uma Agroindústria Familiar Rural em Pranchita-Pr, o estabelecimento apresenta como diferencial o fato de serem as sete mulheres responsáveis por todas as etapas do processo produtivo, envolvendo além da produção, o controle financeiro e as estratégias de comercialização da agroindústria. Dessa forma buscou-se identificar os gargalos, os meios e as alternativas encontradas pelas mulheres rurais, bem como, as redes de relações que o processo edificou em sua caminhada até aqui. Foi então possível perceber as diversas peculiaridades das estratégias de resistência adotadas pelas mulheres rurais e como são importantes para o empoderamento feminino e, ao mesmo tempo, garantidor das estratégias de reprodução social da agricultura familiar. / The study aims to analyze gender relations in rural areas and how their social and economic organization has helped in the transformation of power relations in domestic and public spaces. The research used the livelihoods approach and sought to identify how these strategies influenced the transformation of the social and economic relations of a group of women in rural areas, as well as using the approach of decolonial feminism to understand their forms of resistance. The construction of the research took place through qualitative and quantitative analysis procedures, seeking to present an interdisciplinary character both in the collection methodology and in the data analysis. The field work consisted in the realization of a case study in an association of seven women that composes a Rural Family Agroindustry in Pranchita-PR, the establishment presents as differential the fact that the seven women are responsible for all stages of the productive process, Involving besides the production, the financial control and the commercialization strategies of the agroindustry. In this way, we sought to identify the bottlenecks, the means and the alternatives found by the rural women, as well as the networks of relationships that the process built on their journey up to here. It was then possible to perceive the diverse peculiarities of the strategies of resistance adopted by rural women and how important they are to female empowerment and, at the same time, guarantor of the social reproduction strategies of family agriculture.

Fundação Araucária / O estudo pretende analisar as relações de gênero no meio rural e como a sua organização social e econômica tem auxiliado na transformação das relações de poder no espaço doméstico e público. A pesquisa utilizou a abordagem dos meios de vida e procurou identificar como essas estratégias influenciaram a transformação das relações sociais e econômicas de um grupo de mulheres no meio rural, bem como, utilizou-se da abordagem do feminismo descolonial para compreender suas formas de resistência. A construção da pesquisa ocorreu por meio de procedimentos qualitativos e quantitativos de análise, procurando apresentar um caráter interdisciplinar tanto na metodologia de coleta quanto na análise dos dados. O trabalho de campo consistiu na realização de um estudo de caso em uma associação de sete mulheres que compõe uma Agroindústria Familiar Rural em Pranchita-Pr, o estabelecimento apresenta como diferencial o fato de serem as sete mulheres responsáveis por todas as etapas do processo produtivo, envolvendo além da produção, o controle financeiro e as estratégias de comercialização da agroindústria. Dessa forma buscou-se identificar os gargalos, os meios e as alternativas encontradas pelas mulheres rurais, bem como, as redes de relações que o processo edificou em sua caminhada até aqui. Foi então possível perceber as diversas peculiaridades das estratégias de resistência adotadas pelas mulheres rurais e como são importantes para o empoderamento feminino e, ao mesmo tempo, garantidor das estratégias de reprodução social da agricultura familiar. / The study aims to analyze gender relations in rural areas and how their social and economic organization has helped in the transformation of power relations in domestic and public spaces. The research used the livelihoods approach and sought to identify how these strategies influenced the transformation of the social and economic relations of a group of women in rural areas, as well as using the approach of decolonial feminism to understand their forms of resistance. The construction of the research took place through qualitative and quantitative analysis procedures, seeking to present an interdisciplinary character both in the collection methodology and in the data analysis. The field work consisted in the realization of a case study in an association of seven women that composes a Rural Family Agroindustry in Pranchita-PR, the establishment presents as differential the fact that the seven women are responsible for all stages of the productive process, Involving besides the production, the financial control and the commercialization strategies of the agroindustry. In this way, we sought to identify the bottlenecks, the means and the alternatives found by the rural women, as well as the networks of relationships that the process built on their journey up to here. It was then possible to perceive the diverse peculiarities of the strategies of resistance adopted by rural women and how important they are to female empowerment and, at the same time, guarantor of the social reproduction strategies of family agriculture.

Thesis (M. Dev. (Planning and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / The National government has implemented a rural development strategy, known as the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP), in various areas of the country including Muyexe village. The CRDP focused on community organization and mobilization as well as strategic investment in economic and social infrastructure. The programme adopted an approach that empowers Muyexe communities. It is built on the premise that rural areas in the country have the potential to be developed in a way that generates jobs and economic opportunities, thus providing an alternative to the urban centres, and contributing to the reduction of rural-urban migration. Muyexe has been one of the pilot areas in the country where the CRDP was implemented by the national government. The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent of the contribution of CRDP women empowerment in Muyexe. The study adopted a mixed research method (quantitative and quantitate) in order to describe and understand the impact of CRDP on women empowerment. The researcher used a questionnaire to collect data from 92 households, which were selected randomly. In addition, qualitative data was collected through one-on-one interviews, observation and literature review. Interviews were conducted with ten (10) CRDP facility managers, employees and government officials who were selected purposively. Findings indicate that the condition of women living in the village has improved as women are allowed to engage in decisions that directly affect them, and women are treated with respect and dignity. There are signs of improvement in terms of women’s empowerment, namely access to resources such as land, health care, water and electricity; involvement in the projects that are designed to benefit the community; and holding leadership positions, despite the cultural and traditional practices. However, the participants of the study perceive that women are not satisfied with their working conditions and the income they earn. Another finding of the study is that CRDP has implemented various facility services in order to benefit the local community of Muyexe, through setting up a library, recreation centre, computer centre, early childhood learning centre, post office, clinic, doing road vii construction and many more. Other projects implemented include water reservation tanks, electricity, toilets and backyard gardens. This study found that the infrastructure and service facilities that were developed through the CRDP have a major impact in the lives of women in the village. Women have more access to houses, water reservation tanks, and electricity and sanitation facilities. Moreover, the projects initiated by CRDP have benefited women and their families as well as creating employment opportunities and skills training. The CRDP has not fully achieved its purpose of empowering the community, women in particular, due to several implementation challenges including inadequate coordination, theft and vandalism, and nepotism. Thus it is crucial for the policy makers and implementers to look into the different challenges that women are facing and come up with appropriate strategies that will further empower rural women in the study area. / National Research Foundation (NRF)

No description available.

Women play a major role in development especially with the increasing numbers of female headed households in Africa. Today more than ever, the poor, the majority of whom are women, face the challenge of creating new survival mechanisms within their communities. One of these mechanisms that the rural women of Maphephethe, (like their counter parts in other parts of Africa) have created is the formation of welfare groups which undertake various activities for income generation. This is to enable the women to meet their basic needs. However success of these groups depends on various factors such as access to assets. Women by virtue of their gender lack access to assets and they operate within structures of inequality which discriminate and deny them equal opportunities to participate in development. Maphephethe is located in the rural KwaZulu-Natal midlands, in the Ndwedwe district. The area like many parts of rural KwaZulu-Natal is characterised by poor social and physical infrastructure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of assets, group management, constraints, benefits and community support to the success of Maphephethe women's groups. The study therefore looked at how the groups functioned, the constraints faced, the benefits derived from group participation and the way the community perceived these groups. All these factors were looked at in relation to success. A combination of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies were used for this study. These were observation, focus groups, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) techniques, de Wet Schutte P-Index, semi-structured interviews and in-depth interviews with key informants who were leaders of the groups. The study found that successful groups were of mixed gender, accessed more assets, undertook more activities and functioned better. These groups also had higher education levels than those which were less successful and were also perceived more favourably by the outsiders. Education and asset access were crucial factors to the success of women's groups. The members of successful groups were more committed, had a higher sense of belonging and realised more income from their groups. This study summed up crucial factors for success of women's groups as access to assets, diversified activities, high education levels, good management, committed members, community support, networking, and realisation of incomes by group members. The ability of the rural women's groups to participate effectively in their development activities is constrained by illiteracy (which results to poor management) and other factors such as lack of capital and information. In view of the constraints, it is recommended that development agencies create links with these groups to understand the effects of their collective action in the area. There is a dire need for capital to improve the women's activities, training of all the group members on issues ranging from group dynamics, basic education and skills. Literacy training could be combined with income generating activities. Development efforts need to begin by taking full stock of women's perceived claims, goals, motivations, constraints and resources they identify in their context / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

The need to carry out an analysis of gender issues in development stems from a concern about the persistent inequalities surrounding African rural women. Women assume social and economic roles inside and outside the household but their contribution does not receive due recognition. Having being excluded from crucial decision making processes, their productive roles have been secondary to their reproductive responsibilities. The purpose of this study was to highlight the negative impact imposed by gender oppression on women's economic and social progress. This necessitated an in-depth review of literature that included journals, books, newspaper articles and general publications. The review reflected that women have undisputedly faced social, cultural, economic, political and educational barriers and that simple rhetoric has not done much to alleviate women's subordinate position and dependency on men. Finally a suggested plan- of action followed to provide an axis around which gender issues in development should revolve. / Development Studies / M. Admin. (Development Administration)