Assignment Code: MGSE-003 / AST-01 / TMA / 2022-23

Course Code: MGSE-003

Assignment Name: Gender Mainstreaming

Year: 2022 - 2023

Verification Status: Verified by Professor

PART- A

Write short notes on the following in 200 words each. (10 marks)

Q 1. Beijing +15

Ans) Beijing + 15 refers to the 15th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, China in 1995. The conference was a landmark event in the global women's rights movement and produced the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a comprehensive blueprint for advancing women's rights and gender equality. Beijing + 15 was marked by a series of events and initiatives aimed at assessing the progress made in advancing the goals outlined in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. These events included the 54th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in 2010, which focused on the theme "Implementing the Beijing Platform for Action." The CSW meeting brought together governments, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to review progress, identify gaps and challenges, and propose solutions for achieving gender equality.

In addition to the CSW meeting, a range of other initiatives were launched to mark the 15th anniversary of the Beijing conference. These included the Beijing+15 Review, a global review of progress towards the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, and the establishment of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). Despite progress made, many challenges remain in the pursuit of gender equality, including persistent gender-based violence, discrimination, and unequal access to education and economic opportunities. The Beijing + 15 anniversary served as an important reminder of the ongoing work needed to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls worldwide.

Q 2. First World Conference on Women (1975): Mexico

Ans) The First World Conference on Women was held in Mexico City in 1975, organized by the United Nations. The conference was a milestone event for the women's rights movement and brought together representatives from 133 countries to discuss issues affecting women and girls around the world. The conference focused on five key themes: equality in education, employment, and social and political participation, as well as the role of women in international development. The conference produced a plan of action known as the "World Plan of Action for the Implementation of the Objectives of the International Women's Year," which outlined a series of recommendations for governments, civil society organizations, and the international community to advance women's rights and gender equality.

One of the key outcomes of the conference was the establishment of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), which aimed to promote research and training on issues related to women's advancement and gender equality. The Mexico conference was significant in highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach to women's rights, encompassing not just legal and political reforms but also changes in social attitudes and norms. The conference also recognized the need to address the intersectional nature of discrimination faced by women, including those based on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

Q 3. Engendering Communication.

Ans) Engendering Communication is a concept that refers to the process of incorporating gender analysis into communication and media practices. It recognizes that communication is not gender-neutral and that media representations and practices can either reinforce or challenge gender stereotypes and power imbalances. The goal of engendering communication is to promote gender equality and women's empowerment by ensuring that media and communication practices are inclusive and non-discriminatory. This includes promoting women's participation and leadership in media and communication, ensuring that media content is diverse and representative, and challenging gender-based violence and discrimination in all forms of media.

Engendering communication is important because media and communication play a significant role in shaping social norms and attitudes towards gender. Media representations can reinforce harmful stereotypes and normalize violence against women, while also perpetuating gender disparities in access to information and opportunities. By incorporating a gender lens into communication and media practices, it is possible to challenge these norms and promote gender equality. Engendering communication is a broad field that encompasses a range of practices, including gender-sensitive reporting, promoting women's leadership in media and communication, using media for gender advocacy, and incorporating a gender perspective into media policies and regulations. It is an important tool for promoting gender equality and empowering women, and it is increasingly recognized as a key strategy for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 5, which calls for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

Q 4. Percy Amendment

Ans) The Percy Amendment was a proposed amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, introduced by Senator Charles Percy of Illinois in 1973. The amendment aimed to condition US foreign aid on a recipient country's human rights record, including their treatment of women. The Percy Amendment would have required the Secretary of State to make a determination on a country's human rights record before providing any foreign assistance. The amendment also included specific provisions related to women's rights, such as requiring that countries take steps to eliminate discrimination against women in education, employment, and other areas.

The Percy Amendment was a response to concerns about the US providing aid to countries with poor human rights records, particularly in relation to women's rights. The amendment was supported by women's rights activists and organizations, who argued that US foreign aid should not be used to support governments that perpetuate gender-based violence or discrimination. However, the amendment faced opposition from some members of Congress who argued that it would interfere with US foreign policy and damage relationships with key allies. Ultimately, the Percy Amendment was not passed, but its introduction brought attention to the issue of women's rights in US foreign policy and helped to lay the groundwork for future efforts to incorporate gender considerations into foreign aid and diplomacy.

PART- B

Answer any two of the questions given below in 1000 words each. (30 marks)

Q 1. Write an essay on the welfare approach with examples.

Ans) The welfare approach was the first policy to care about women in developing countries. It started in the 1950s and 1960s. Its goal is to help women grow and become better mothers. Women are thought of as passive recipients of progress. The welfare approach is the oldest and still the most popular way for developing countries and women in particular to improve their social lives. The welfare approach is a social policy philosophy that stresses how important it is for the government to help people and society as a whole be happy and healthy. This approach is based on the idea that everyone has a right to a basic standard of living and that society has a duty to meet the needs of its citizens, especially those who are most vulnerable and left out.

Welfare method has three ideas. First, development excludes women. They receive development. Second, motherhood is a woman's most essential job in society. Third, that raising children boosts economic growth in every manner. This "family-centred" strategy only considers women's fertility. It assumes men should be productive and prioritises the mother-child pair. Women and gender-aware local organisations are not participating because it is implemented by giving away free products and services from the top down. Training is for housewives and stay-at-home mothers. Programs to increase family welfare, especially for children, have targeted low-income moms. Over the past 30 years, social programmes have expanded to serve more people. Even though women's welfare programmes have grown a lot in the last few decades, the idea behind them is still that motherhood is the most important thing for women to do in Third World development. This means that their main goal has been to meet the practical needs of women in their role as mothers. Welfare programmes see "women" as the problem, not a lack of money or other resources, and put the responsibility for family welfare in their hands without questioning their "natural" role. Even though many welfare programmes tend to make women more dependent instead of helping them become more independent, they are still popular because they are politically safe because they don't question or change the traditional role of women in the gender division of labour. Because of these assumptions, women are often left out of development programmes run by mainstream development agencies, which provide a big chunk of development funds. Even though many people were unhappy with the welfare approach by the 1970s, they had different ideas about what was wrong with it. A group of mostly female professionals and researchers were worried about the growing evidence that Third World development projects hurt women. Second, development economists and planners were worried about the failure of modernization theory in the Third World. Third, the United Nations (UN) combined both of these worries. Because of these worries, the UN held the International Women's Year Conference in 1975. This officially "put women on the agenda" and gave legitimacy to the growth of many different types of women's groups in the Third World. This led the UN to name 1976–1985 the Women's Decade.

During this decade, criticism of the welfare strategy led to the introduction of several strategies to support women, including fairness, battling poverty, efficiency, and power. Because these approaches are similar, were developed in the same decade, and don't often conflict, they've been called the "women in development" (WID) approach. The welfare system has been praised and criticised. Some claim welfare produces a culture of reliance in which people grow reliant on the government and lose the will to work. Others think welfare is too expensive and burdens taxpayers. Even with these problems, the welfare approach is still a very important social policy philosophy that has helped solve a wide range of social problems all over the world. By giving people in need help and resources, the welfare approach helps promote social justice, reduce poverty and inequality, and make society fairer and just. In addition to government programs, the welfare approach is also reflected in the work of non-profit organizations and civil society groups. For example, many organizations work to address issues like homelessness, domestic violence, and substance abuse through a range of programs and services.

Some additional examples of the welfare approach in action:

1. Affordable Housing Programs: Affordable housing programs provide assistance to low-income individuals and families to help them secure safe, decent, and affordable housing. These programs include subsidized rental assistance, public housing, and mortgage assistance programs. By providing affordable housing, these programs help to reduce homelessness and improve living conditions for those in need.

2. Universal Basic Income: Universal basic income (UBI) is a policy proposal that would provide a guaranteed income to all citizens, regardless of their income or employment status. Proponents of UBI argue that it would help to reduce poverty, promote social mobility, and provide a safety net for those who are unable to work due to disability, illness, or other reasons.

3. Food Assistance Programs: Food assistance programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) provide support to low-income individuals and families to help them access healthy and nutritious food. These programs help to reduce food insecurity and improve the health and well-being of those in need.

4. Childcare Subsidies: Childcare subsidies provide financial assistance to low-income families to help them afford quality childcare. By providing affordable childcare, these programs help parents to work and pursue education, while also promoting early childhood development and education.

5. Paid Family and Medical Leave: Paid family and medical leave policies provide workers with paid time off to care for themselves or family members who are sick or have a new child. These policies help to support families and ensure that workers are not forced to choose between caring for their loved ones and earning a living.

Overall, these examples demonstrate the many different ways in which the welfare approach can be implemented to promote social justice, reduce poverty and inequality, and create a more just and equitable society.

Q 2. Discuss the UNDP initiative to mainstream gender at the organizational level.

Ans) The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been a leader in promoting gender mainstreaming and empowering women around the world. In 1995, the UNDP launched an initiative to mainstream gender at the organizational level, with the goal of integrating a gender perspective into all aspects of its operations, policies, and programs. This initiative aimed to ensure that UNDP staff members understood and prioritized gender issues in their work, and that the organization as a whole was committed to promoting gender equality and women's empowerment.

The UNDP initiative to mainstream gender at the organizational level has had a number of important implications for the organization and for the wider development community. One of the most significant impacts has been the increased recognition of the importance of gender equality and women's empowerment in development programming. By prioritizing gender issues and integrating a gender perspective into all aspects of its work, the UNDP has demonstrated that gender equality is not only a human rights issue, but also a key driver of development outcomes.

In addition, the UNDP's commitment to gender mainstreaming has helped to promote greater accountability and transparency in development programming. By developing gender-sensitive indicators and conducting gender analyses, the organization has been able to track the impact of its programs and policies on gender equality and women's empowerment, and to identify areas for improvement. This has helped to ensure that the UNDP is accountable to its stakeholders, and that its work is grounded in evidence and data.

Another important impact of the UNDP's initiative to mainstream gender at the organizational level has been the increased participation of women in development programming. By empowering women and promoting their participation in decision-making processes, the UNDP has been able to better understand and respond to the needs and priorities of women and girls. This has led to more effective and sustainable development outcomes, as well as increased social and economic inclusion for women and girls.

Moreover, the UNDP's commitment to gender mainstreaming has helped to build partnerships and collaborations with a range of actors in the development community, including governments, civil society organizations, and the private sector. By providing technical support and guidance on gender mainstreaming, the UNDP has been able to influence and support partners in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment. This has helped to build a more coordinated and effective response to the complex and interconnected challenges that women and girls face around the world.

Despite these important impacts, the UNDP acknowledges that there are still challenges to be addressed in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment. One of the biggest challenges is the persistence of gender-based discrimination and violence, which continue to undermine the rights and opportunities of women and girls around the world. The UNDP is committed to addressing these challenges through continued advocacy, research, and programming.

The UNDP's initiative to mainstream gender at the organizational level included a number of key components. These included:

1. Gender Policy: The UNDP developed a comprehensive gender policy that provided guidance for integrating a gender perspective into all aspects of the organization's work. The policy included principles for gender mainstreaming, as well as specific guidelines for ensuring that gender issues were considered in programming, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation, and human resources management.

2. Gender Focal Points: The UNDP established gender focal points in each of its country offices and regional bureaus. These focal points were responsible for providing technical support and guidance on gender mainstreaming, as well as promoting collaboration between UNDP staff members and external partners to advance gender equality and women's empowerment.

3. Training and Capacity Building: The UNDP provided training and capacity building programs to ensure that all staff members had the knowledge and skills to integrate a gender perspective into their work. These programs included workshops, online courses, and other learning opportunities that covered topics such as gender analysis, gender-sensitive budgeting, and gender-based violence.

4. Gender Analysis: The UNDP conducted gender analyses to ensure that gender issues were considered in the design, implementation, and evaluation of its programs and policies. These analyses included identifying the different needs and priorities of women and men, as well as the social and cultural factors that shape gender roles and relations in each context.

5. Gender-Sensitive Indicators: The UNDP developed gender-sensitive indicators to measure the impact of its programs and policies on gender equality and women's empowerment. These indicators helped to ensure that the organization was accountable for its commitment to gender mainstreaming and provided a framework for evaluating the effectiveness of its efforts to promote gender equality.

The UNDP's plan to include gender in all parts of the organisation has had a big effect on the work of the organisation and the communities it helps. By putting gender issues at the top of its list and giving women more power, the UNDP has been able to make its programmes and policies have a bigger impact. For example, the organisation has been able to improve women's access to education and economic opportunities, improve women's and girls' health, and help women take part in building peace and resolving conflicts.

The UNDP's dedication to gender mainstreaming has also led other organisations and governments to make gender equality and women's empowerment a top priority. The organisation has helped a wide range of partners, such as governments, civil society groups, and the private sector, integrate a gender perspective into their work by giving them technical support and guidance. Even though these things have gone well, the UNDP admits that there is still a lot of work to be done to promote gender equality and women's empowerment. The organisation keeps improving its approaches to gender mainstreaming and working with partners to solve the complex problems that women and girls all over the world face and that are linked to each other.

In conclusion, the UNDP's initiative to mainstream gender at the organizational level has been a critical step towards advancing gender equality and women's empowerment. By prioritizing gender issues and integrating a gender perspective into all aspects of its work, the UNDP has been able to achieve greater impact in its programs and policies, and to influence others to prioritize gender equality and women's empowerment.