Gender equality, bilateral program assistance and structural adjustment: Policy and procedures

Abstract

This paper reports the findings and recommendations of an investigation into the integration of “Women in Development” (WID) issues in bilateral donors' policy-related program assistance. Most donors have made little progress in bringing gender analysis into this area of assistance, but attempts are being made by a few. The approaches of two such donors, DGIS (Netherlands) and USAID, are discussed in some detail. The widespread introduction of gender conditionality is rejected, and instead emphasis is placed on the integration of gender analysis into the diagnosis of a country's economic problems, and the policy processes of economic reform.