scholarly journals Gender Equality, Governance and Women Empowerment Agenda in a Democratizing Society: Issues, Prospects, and Challenges

Author(s):  
Olabisi I. Aina ◽  
Kehinde Olayode

With the current global urge and mandates for gender equality, the African continent is re-awakening interest on gender issues and gender mainstreaming in public policy and planning. This paper addresses issues and prospects in embracing Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) principles in a democratizing state such as Nigeria. Basic questions raised include – what are the ideals of GEWE? What relevance does the GEWE Agenda have for a democratising state? What different legislations, policies, and programmes are strategic to this process? What roles have been played by Civil Society Organizations in instituting a GEWE agenda in a nation state such as Nigeria? What are the gains of the gender equality agenda for the country’s overall development? What problems still face the process of achieving gender equality and gender justice in Nigeria? These discussions espouse the importance of the GEWE Agenda and the need to engender social development and political transformations in the emerging democratic Nigeria.

Author(s):  
Akhiriyati Sundari

This paper will examine the Nahdhatul Ulama's response to gender issues in Indonesia. In general, Nahdhatul Ulama's response to gender in this case is represented by the discourse of women's acceptance in the NU body is relatively good. This is seen from some important decisions issued by PBNU. Empowerment and gender mainstreaming within the structural framework of the Nahdhatul Ulama organization are seen in significant decisions for gender equality, including decision making after the 1997 Munas decision, how NU accepts women as president


EGALITA ◽  
2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Mahpur, M.Si

This research is intended to describe the perception of UIN academics on gender mainstreaming issue and to map the argument on the need of gender mainstreaming implementation which includes gender strategy and gender practice at this academic institution. Using descriptive quantitative methode, the data gathered in the form of openmind-system questionnaires distributing to the Deans, vice deans, and head of several units.The result of research reveals that either men or women at UIN Malang tend to refuse the implementation of gender mainstreaming (men=44.67% and women=25.33%). Only 35% of total amount of respondent agree to implement gender mainstreming (men=15 dan women=20%). Meanwhile, the respons toward the implementation is that word "gender"in vision and mission of this institution is not necessary to be stated explicitely. The important point of the issue is the practice of gender quality should be proportional andprofesional. Then, this is a responsibility of centre of gender studies to socialize gender issues and gender equality if there is a need to evaluate gender equality-based policies.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Binh Thi Le

<p>In Vietnam, Confucian doctrine has traditionally influenced gender issues. Although, the determination of Government has brought about considerable improvements in gender equality in society, there remains a need for interventions from a variety of stakeholders including Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Recently, both International NGOs (INGOs) and Local NGOs (LNGOs) have increased in scope, size, and resources to address development issues in general and gender issues in particular in the specific context of Vietnam. They all play a pivotal role in delivering services and advocacy in an effort to enable Vietnamese people to live in a society of justice and well-being. However, there continues to be a gap between the rhetoric and practice of these organizations for both internal and external reasons. This research analyses the process of integrating gender into an INGO and an LNGO’s policies and development projects drawing on semi-structured interviews with staff in these organizations. The study explores the extent to which these NGOs use gender mainstreaming as a tool to achieve the goal of gender equality in their own organization and project sites. What challenges and opportunities for each organization exist? The findings indicate that in reference to gender mainstreaming, these NGOs, more or less, have encountered a series of common obstacles found in literature from other parts of the world. They also highlight the importance of the approach to gender work taken by NGOs. Each approach must be based on the specific conditions and characteristics of each organization and more importantly adaptable to the context, culture, and traditions of Vietnam. As a part of gender mainstreaming, NGOs are starting to pay attention to the work/home divides of their staff as a critically important element in organizational culture aiming to get the organization in order first before integrating gender into other dimensions of their development work. Both NGOs have the strong determination to have more male staff in office and involve more men in projects to address gender issues. Furthermore, the lack of openness and dialogue on implementing gender mainstreaming in the NGO community makes a part of the findings. These particular aspects of organisational practice were highlights of this thesis.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Philippa Bennett

<p>Gender mainstreaming is one of the most widespread methods employed by donor countries and their partners to address gender equality and women’s empowerment in development. New Zealand has had a varied history of engagement on gender issues within its aid programme. As reportedly one of the first countries within the OECD to have a specific gender policy, New Zealand’s commitment to women has waxed and waned. Case and point, in 2011, when asked where women came into New Zealand’s growing Pacific focus for aid, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade stated that he was not interested in prescribing a gender within the aid programme. This research evaluated how gender mainstreaming has been implemented into the policies of New Zealand’s Official Development Assistance (NZODA) since 2000.   Research methods used included reviewing past and present NZODA policies, carried out alongside interviews with development specialists who had worked in the New Zealand aid and gender environment. Using a feminist lens, the research revealed that New Zealand’s ODA has had limited investment in gender equality and women’s empowerment, despite gender being mainstreamed or mandated as a cross-cutting issue since 2002. The previous structure which administered NZODA, NZAID, released an in-depth gender policy late in its existence and struggled to retain staff in the gender advisor role. The refocus of NZODA, with the subsequent reintegration of aid into foreign affairs in 2009 meant the expiration of this policy. Two years later, the new body established to administer NZODA, the NZ Aid Programme, released its only policy, where gender equality and women’s empowerment featured little and appeared tokenistic. As well as this lack of investment in women, this research revealed that gender mainstreaming appears to be misunderstood, which can only contribute to its widely perceived ineffectiveness. Recommendations argue for a committed focus on gender best practice within NZODA, alongside greater investment in programmes and activities that specifically focus on women and gender issues.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Binh Thi Le

<p>In Vietnam, Confucian doctrine has traditionally influenced gender issues. Although, the determination of Government has brought about considerable improvements in gender equality in society, there remains a need for interventions from a variety of stakeholders including Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Recently, both International NGOs (INGOs) and Local NGOs (LNGOs) have increased in scope, size, and resources to address development issues in general and gender issues in particular in the specific context of Vietnam. They all play a pivotal role in delivering services and advocacy in an effort to enable Vietnamese people to live in a society of justice and well-being. However, there continues to be a gap between the rhetoric and practice of these organizations for both internal and external reasons. This research analyses the process of integrating gender into an INGO and an LNGO’s policies and development projects drawing on semi-structured interviews with staff in these organizations. The study explores the extent to which these NGOs use gender mainstreaming as a tool to achieve the goal of gender equality in their own organization and project sites. What challenges and opportunities for each organization exist? The findings indicate that in reference to gender mainstreaming, these NGOs, more or less, have encountered a series of common obstacles found in literature from other parts of the world. They also highlight the importance of the approach to gender work taken by NGOs. Each approach must be based on the specific conditions and characteristics of each organization and more importantly adaptable to the context, culture, and traditions of Vietnam. As a part of gender mainstreaming, NGOs are starting to pay attention to the work/home divides of their staff as a critically important element in organizational culture aiming to get the organization in order first before integrating gender into other dimensions of their development work. Both NGOs have the strong determination to have more male staff in office and involve more men in projects to address gender issues. Furthermore, the lack of openness and dialogue on implementing gender mainstreaming in the NGO community makes a part of the findings. These particular aspects of organisational practice were highlights of this thesis.</p>


Author(s):  
Akhiriyati Sundari

This paper will examine the Nahdhatul Ulama's response to gender issues in Indonesia. In general, Nahdhatul Ulama's response to gender in this case is represented by the discourse of women's acceptance in the NU body is relatively good. This is seen from some important decisions issued by PBNU. Empowerment and gender mainstreaming within the structural framework of the Nahdhatul Ulama organization are seen in significant decisions for gender equality, including decision making after the 1997 Munas decision, how NU accepts women as president


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Philippa Bennett

<p>Gender mainstreaming is one of the most widespread methods employed by donor countries and their partners to address gender equality and women’s empowerment in development. New Zealand has had a varied history of engagement on gender issues within its aid programme. As reportedly one of the first countries within the OECD to have a specific gender policy, New Zealand’s commitment to women has waxed and waned. Case and point, in 2011, when asked where women came into New Zealand’s growing Pacific focus for aid, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade stated that he was not interested in prescribing a gender within the aid programme. This research evaluated how gender mainstreaming has been implemented into the policies of New Zealand’s Official Development Assistance (NZODA) since 2000.   Research methods used included reviewing past and present NZODA policies, carried out alongside interviews with development specialists who had worked in the New Zealand aid and gender environment. Using a feminist lens, the research revealed that New Zealand’s ODA has had limited investment in gender equality and women’s empowerment, despite gender being mainstreamed or mandated as a cross-cutting issue since 2002. The previous structure which administered NZODA, NZAID, released an in-depth gender policy late in its existence and struggled to retain staff in the gender advisor role. The refocus of NZODA, with the subsequent reintegration of aid into foreign affairs in 2009 meant the expiration of this policy. Two years later, the new body established to administer NZODA, the NZ Aid Programme, released its only policy, where gender equality and women’s empowerment featured little and appeared tokenistic. As well as this lack of investment in women, this research revealed that gender mainstreaming appears to be misunderstood, which can only contribute to its widely perceived ineffectiveness. Recommendations argue for a committed focus on gender best practice within NZODA, alongside greater investment in programmes and activities that specifically focus on women and gender issues.</p>


2020 ◽  
pp. 135050682097915
Author(s):  
Zuzana Maďarová ◽  
Veronika Valkovičová

Thirty years after the Velvet Revolution, Slovak feminist activists look back to the 1990s and early 2000s as the time of exceptional capacity building and knowledge production which was barely sustained in later years. The last decade of feminist organizing has been marked by waning financial resources for civil society organizations, and appropriation of feminist and gender equality agenda by the state, which led to the hollowing out of its content. What is more, strong and pervasive conservative pressure with the aid of ‘gender ideology’ rhetoric has been successful in delegitimizing gender equality policies and is consistently threatening sexual and reproductive rights in the country. Facing such prospects, this article examines newfound alliances and diverse forms of broadly understood feminist praxis, which go beyond institutionalized civil society, but have developed to counter neoconservative and far-right political pressure in Slovakia.


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