The Role of Women in Development

Abstract

Just as the social and political aspects of society affect the outcome of developmental programmes and planning so do traditional sex roles and occupations. This aspect of development has been largely ignored and the possible contributions of women have been discounted. Policy makers have apparently assumed that there is a constancy of sex roles throughout the world - or that there should be. Their model of course is the pattern generally found in post-industrial societies. Because they have assumed this pattern to exist where it did not the development planners - whether western or indigenous but western-trained ^ have constructed policies that in many cases have undermined the traditionally relatively independent role of women in many predominantly agrarian societies. Elsewhere policies made by men have tended to be for men and have therefore discounted half the population. (excerpt)