The link between gender issues, the environment and development policy had intensified during the last decade. Women have traditionally been responsible for subsistence and survival tasks like providing water and food, fuel and fodder collection. Thus their dependency on the environment is very crucial; being deeply linked with their survival. Degradation of Environment directly affects women’s deprivation.
Gender Issues in Socio-economic Development: Recognition of the need to improve the status of women and to promote their potential roles in development is no longer seen only as an issue of human tights or social justice. While the pursuit of gender equity remains strongly embedded within the framework of fundamental human rights and gender justice, investments in women now also are recognized as crucial to achieving sustainable development. Economic analyses recognize that low levels of education and training, poor health and nutritional status, and limited access to resources not only depress women’s quality of life, but also limit productivity and hinder economic efficiency and growth. Hence, promoting and improving the status of women need to be pursued, for reasons of equity and social justice and also because it makes economic sense and is good development practice.
Over the last decade, Gender and Development has gained a space in development projects and programmes – at least at the level of policy formulation. Talking of Women and Development (WID) is outdated – to day the catchphrase is Gender and Development: GAD. This change has been pushed by women’s movements on a global scale, and it has gained momentum especially since the Fourth World Conference of Women in Beijing 1995. Even in Mozambique and Post-Beijing in Plan of Action was issued in 1996, specifying GAD policies ministry by ministry.
Women and Development:
1950s to 1960s – Women’s issues were seen mainly within the context of human rights.
1970s – The formula was to “integrate women into development.”
1980s – The United Nations’ Third Development Decade gave rise to a “trend towards seeing women as equals, as agents and beneficiaries in all sectors”.
Participants