Module 2. Theorethical Concepts of Gender - FSN Network Portal

Mainstreaming Gender into Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Programs
Module 2: Theoretical Concepts of Gender
Lesson 6: Gender Concepts (1): Sex, Gender and Gender Mainstreaming
Insights into Gender and Development
Women and Men in Development
Handout 6.1.3
There has been a tendency to regard issues of gender and equality in
development as being a ‘women’s concern’ in which initiatives are largely
pursued by and for women. With experience and the more widespread
adoption of the concept of ‘gender’, there has been greater recognition of the
need to consider men and their gender identities, and to involve men in the
pursuit of change. That is why the emphasis is now on gender and
development and the importance of men in relation to strategies to reach
gender equality, sometimes called a masculinity approach.
Some people have questioned the focus on women and development saying
that if the concern is ‘gender’, should not equal attention be paid to women
and men? This is the reason why gender has been identified as an issue for
development cooperation – the inequalities between women and men that
result in women having less access to development resources and decisionmaking
power at all levels of society. There is a need also to consider the
development needs of men as they take their part in facilitating development.
Gender equality strategies exist to promote attention to the development
needs of both women and men, especially those that have largely been
invisible, and to address the processes that continue to structure an unequal
distribution of resources and opportunities to the disadvantage of women.
A focus on women in isolation from their relationships with men can
undermine strategies to achieve various development objectives, including the
objective of reducing disparities between women and men. A gender analysis
must consider not only differences between women and men, but inequalities
in the relationship between them and what this means for the possibilities and
actions of different groups of women and men. For example, inequalities
between women and men, and unequal relations between them, influence
decision-making about fertility and sexuality. Thus male gender identities and
behaviour must be taken into account in order to develop effective strategies
in population control.
?The gender identities of women and men are closely interlinked. One way this
is evident is in the division of labour by gender. Certain tasks and
responsibilities are seen as appropriate for women and others for men – the
division of labour itself creates interdependence. Changes for women thus
also mean changes for men. More broadly, equality between women and men
cannot be achieved only by changes in the roles and responsibilities carried
by women. To date, men have not generally been involved in considering
what a more equal society would look like and in working as partners with
women to define and pursue strategies for equality. In part, this can reflect
resistance to the implications of change. However, it can also be argued that
A Training Manual for Water Professionals developed collaboratively by PROTOS and SNV, 01/02/2007
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