CD97 - gender and popular education

GENDER IN POPULAR EDUCATION

Methods for Empowerment

Shirley Walters and Linzi Manicom (Eds.)

Gender in Popular Education is a collection of critical reflections on feminist adult education work in grassroots organisations, development projects, formal institutions, and community education programmes in a wide variety of countries: South Africa, India, the United States, Canada, Malaysia, the Philippines and Australia. Drawing on, and critiquing, the tradition of community education associated with Paolo Friere, as well as the fields of adult education and feminist pedagogy, it examines methodologies that lead to women's empowerment. It aims to give feminist popular education work a much wider audience and to promote debate about effective learning and pedagogy among grassroots women.

The contributors enliven their focus on methodology with engaging shifts between personal narrative, experiential analysis, theoretical contextualisation, and evocative description. Their willingness to be self-critical and to experiment with new applications of concepts and practices make this book a valuable addition to an increasingly important field.

Zed Books/CACE Publications, 1996. paper; 239 pp. ISBN 1-85649-350-5 US$25.00

ON OUR FEET

Taking Steps to Challenge Women's Oppression

Liz Mackenzie

On Our Feet explains key concepts and terms regarding gender, introduces main principles of popular education, and offers guidelines to plan and facilitate a workshop. Although developed within the South African context, this basic training handbook can be generalised for use by popular educators, trainers, organisers,and facilitators worldwide. Activities; glossary; bibliography.

University of the Western Cape/CACE Publications, 1992. paper; 171 pp. ISBN 1-86808-108-7 US$10.00

WOMEN AND LITERACY

Marcela Ballara

This book examines how projects to promote women's literacy can contribute to women's improved status, better health care, greater environmental protection and effective economic activity. It includes step-by-step details on preparing literacy activities for women, a guide to education and action, a bibliography, a list of organisations, and, information on how to monitor the effectiveness of a literacy programme.

Zed Books, 1992. paper; 96 pp. ISBN 0-86232-981-7 US$15.95

WOMEN AND THE UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM

Towards Equality, Democracy, and Peace

Mary-Louise Kearney and Anne Holden Rżnning (Eds.)

This book examines the link between the university curriculum and gender issues, and emphasises the key importance of education as a means of empowering women.

Women and the University Curriculum attempts to identify whether and how the teaching, training, and research functions of higher education sensitise students to the principal questions affecting women and their role in society. Focusing on different disciplines and countries, the essays conclude that while the gender dimension is effectively included in some instances, in others it has struggled for recognition or has yet to be adequately understood. Statistics; bibliography.

UNESCO Publishing/Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 1996. paper; 270 pp. ISBN 92-3-103243-7 US$32.00

EMPLOYMENT AND LABOUR ISSUES

SEEDS 2

Supporting Women's Work around the World

Ann Leonard (Ed.)

Seeds 2 documents women's economic initiatives in Ecuador, Ethiopia, India, Mozambique, Nepal, Sudan, Thailand, the United States and Zambia, through accessible case studies. It presents strategies aimed to increase women's access to land, labour and credit markets; to increase women's participation in community institutions that guide development; to provide child care, health care and other support services, and to organise women for collective action and political participation.

Feminist Press, 1995. paper; 227 pp. ISBN 1-55861-106-1 US$12.95

WOMEN AND WORK

Prepared by Susan Bullock This book highlights the ideology and structures that limit and undervalue women's participation in the world of work, and the actions women are taking to analyse and overcome their subordination. It explores issues of credit, land ownership, division of labour, access to markets, and the informal versus formal sector.

Zed Books, 1994. paper; 160 pp. ISBN 1-85649-118-8 US$17.50

WOMEN, EMPLOYMENT AND EXCLUSION

Caroline Sweetman (Ed.)

Over the last 20 years, changes to the world economy have dramatically altered the experience of work. This collection examines these changes from a gender perspective. It explores the increase in women's participation in the paid work-force, and the implications of the deregulation of markets and 'flexible' working conditions. It notes that women in 'formal' employment are still concentrated in low-skilled jobs, while they continue to be over-represented in those 'informal' occupations which are the most precarious and offer the lowest remuneration.

This continuing exclusion of women from ways of making a livelihood that offer security and control serves to makes the 'formal' versus 'informal' dichotomy irrelevant: for poor women, the choice is often between exploitation in employment or survival on the margins. This volume provides an up-to-date understanding of the main concerns about the employment of women worldwide. List of resources; bibliography.

OXFAM, 1996. paper; 64 pp. ISBN 0-85598-364-7 US$12.95

ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPEMENT

BIOPIRACY

The Plunder of Nature and Knowledge

Vandana Shiva

This intelligently argued book exposes the "new colonies" in the North's assault on the South's biological resources: the interior spaces of the bodies of women, plants and animals. Shiva argues that agreements such as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) are based on Eurocentric notions of property and piracy, and work to enable Northern capital to appropriate biodiversity from its original owners. It does this by defining as "nonscience" the seeds, medicinal plants, and indigenous knowledge of the South, and by insisting on genetic engineering as the only yardstick of improvement. With specific consideration of gene-patenting, genetic engineering and biotechnology, and their profoundly disturbing consequences for women, the Third World and the environment, Biopiracy is essential reading for anyone concerned with feminism, the environment, technology and imperialism.

South End Press, 1997. paper; 148 pages. ISBN 0-89608-555-4. US$13.00

ECOFEMINISM: WOMEN, CULTURE, NATURE

Karen J. Warren (Ed.)

This book explores the real-life, experiential concerns that have motivated ecofeminism as a grassroots, women-initiated movement around the globe. It presents the works of scholars in a range of academic disciplines and vocational fields -- including anthropology, biology, chemical engineering, education, environmental studies, philosophy and literature -- which critically examine the application and appropriateness of ecofeminism to their research and to the people whose lives are touched by it. Together, the essays provide a balanced cross-cultural lens through which to begin to critically assess ecofeminism as a political movement and theoretical position.

Indiana University Press, 1997. paper; 454 pages. ISBN 0-253-21057-7. US$24.95

THE PAN-COMMONWEALTH TRAINING MODULE ON WOMEN AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

This unique Training Module examines issues in gender and natural resources, and explains how extension workers, trainers and policy-makers in government, institutions and NGOs can make use of women's knowledge for effective resource management. The resources from the Module distributed by Women, Ink. include (i) the Overview and (ii) four regional manuals. A video, "Women of the Rainforest" can be ordered directly from: Commonwealth Secretariat, Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5HX, United Kingdom.

THE OVERVIEW

The Overview provides a concise review of women and natural resource management; discusses the linkages between gender and environmental management; and provides analytical tools to improve the ability of policy makers to evaluate the implications of these linkages. Addressing a variety of backgrounds and user needs, its sections -- worksheets, matrices and case-study summaries -- can be used as 'stand alone' pieces for training sessions or combined with other sections. This manual should ideally be used in conjunction with one of the region manuals. (See below).

Commonwealth Secretariat, 1996. paper; 68 pages. ISBN 0850-92-489-8. US$8.95

REGION MANUALS

Each manual reviews the problems of environmental degradation in the region, and discusses appropriate approaches for working with rural women in conservation and agricultural development activities. It provides guidelines on communication, learning and analysis techniques for use in investigating local natural resource issues with rural women; presents case-studies of local-level organisations for conservation; and describes selected field techniques for conservation, including soil and water conservation, organic farming, agroforestry and conservation of indigenous living natural resources. Extensive examples; photographs and illustrations; training activities; figures and vignettes.

* A Manual for the Africa region

Commonwealth Secretariat, 1992. paper; 176 pages. ISBN 0-85092-465-0. US$10.95

* A Manual for the Asia Region

Commonwealth Secretariat, 1996. paper; 144 pages. ISBN 0-85092-481-2. US$10.95

* A Manual for the South Pacific region

Commonwealth Secretariat, 1996. paper; 141 pages. ISBN 0-85092-464-2. US$10.95

* A Manual for the Caribbean region

Commonwealth Secretariat, 1996. paper; 116 pages. ISBN 0-85092-486-3. US$10.95

EMPOWERMENT

Towards Sustainable Development

Naresh Singh and Vangile Titi (Eds.)

This study suggests that sustainable development requires that the idea of empowerment and its practical institutionalisation -- in the law, the educational process, and the machinery of government -- become reality. It explores some of the multiple ways in which this approach could become a reality, as well as the difficulties that stand in the way. Based on a workshop by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (Toronto 1993), the collection presents a framework to advance concepts and actions aimed at catalysing the transition from poverty to sustainable livelihoods. It overviews empowerment methods and challenges; highlights the need for reforms inherent in the principles of sustainable development; examines education as an empowerment tool; and indicates principles such as accountability and democracy which must inform an operational strategy of empowerment.

Zed Books, 1995. paper; 198 pp. ISBN 1-85649-374-1 US$22.50

ECOFEMINISM

Marie Mies and Vandana Shiva

The authors, renowned for their work on feminist theory and environmental issues, scrutinise prevailing economic analyses, the notion of 'development', the philosophical foundation of science, and the ethics of reproductive and bio-technologies. Weaving together women's perspectives worldwide into a collective definition of ecofeminism, this book redefines sustainable development and suggests applications of ecofeminism to everyday decisions and long-term global preservation.

Zed Books, 1993. paper; 336 pp. ISBN 1-85649-156-0 US$19.95

FEMINIST PERSPECTIVES ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Shifting Knowledge Boundaries

Wendy Harcourt (Ed.)

Feminist Perspectives develops a consensus around building linkages between gender equity, food security and survival, ecological preservation, and political participation. The essays discuss the challenges posed by feminist research to the sustainable development debate, and women's contribution to the Earth Summit (Rio 1992). The last section discusses the relationship between population, women, and environment.

Zed Books/Society for International Development, 1994. paper; 272 pp. ISBN 1-85649-244-3 US$22.50

FEMINIST POLITICAL ECOLOGY

Global Issues and Local Experiences

Dianne Rocheleau, Barbara Thomas-Slayter and Esther Wangari (Eds.)

Women are often at the centre of struggles concerning local knowledge, sustainable development, environmental quality, and social justice. Feminist Political Ecology explores the gendered relations of ecologies, economics, and politics in communities ranging from rubber tappers in the Amazon rainforests to groups fighting environmental racism in New York City.

The book constitutes an explicit effort to integrate feminist and political ecology scholarship, based on collaborative field research. The first group of case studies introduces examples of gendered environmental organisations and movements. The second examines gendered access to resources, decisions, and technologies in agrarian communities. The third addresses the application of feminist political ecology research and the gender division of knowledge and authority in environmental science and management. This book bridges the gap between the academic and the rural orientation of political ecology and the largely activist and urban focus of environmental justice movements. Tables; figures.

Routledge, 1996. paper; 327 pp. ISBN 0-415-12027-6 US$19.95

GENDER AND ENVIRONMENT

Lessons from Social Forestry and Natural Resource Management

Sarah T. Warren (Ed.)

This sourcebook, based on a 1990 Aga Khan Foundation Canada workshop, compiles information and training tools on women and natural resources for project managers and educators. Background articles explore theoretical issues and case studies from India, Pakistan, and Kenya ground the discussion in contextual considerations. Includes: questions for discussion; practical exercises; bibliography; glossary. Aga Khan Foundation Canada, 1992. paper; 97 pp. US$9.95

SEE ALSO: Commitment to the World's Women (Category: Theoretical and Conceptual Issues).

Gender and Sustainable Development.

Development Crisis and Alternative Visions.

GENDER, POVERTY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Towards a Holistic Framework

Noeleen Heyzer and Vivienne Wee

Although the recent United Nations conferences (Rio, Vienna, Cairo and Copenhagen) have achieved greater international consensus, serious gaps remain between the rhetoric of international declarations and the real world of unsustainable and inequitable development processes. Gender, Poverty and Sustainable Development presents a holistic analysis of the structural causes of poverty and of the intrinsic linkage between unsustainability and poverty.

The authors suggest a strategy of transformation to restore current ecological and social balance, supporting their argument with 17 case studies from the Asian and Pacific region. This important addition to the critical rethinking of development should be required reading for development practitioners and students and researchers of development, especially those interested in the Asia-Pacific region.

Engender (Second Edition), April 1997. paper; 168 pp. ISBN 981-00-6993-6 US$15.00

WOMEN AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA

Valentine Udoh James (Ed.)

This book argues for the full integration of women into the planning, construction, and implementation of development schemes in Africa for these to be successful and sustainable. This is elaborated with particular reference to African women farmers who function as entrepreneurs, food providers, educators, and role models. Case studies are presented from Zaire, Ethiopia, Southern Ghana, Malawi, and Nigeria. Tables; figures; photographs.

Praeger Publishers, 1995. paper; 203 pp. ISBN 0-275-95399-8 US$18.95

SEE ALSO: Women Wielding the Hoe (Category: Agriculture).

African Women and Development.

WOMEN, THE ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Towards a Theoretical Synthesis

Rosi Braidotti, Ewa Charkiewicz, Sabine Hausler and Saskia Wieringa

This study reviews current critiques of various models of development: feminist analysis of Science; Women, Environment and Development; Alternative Development; Environmental Reformism; and Deep Ecology, Social Ecology and Ecofeminism. The contributors offer a feminist framework with the basic values of holism, autonomy, self-reliance, sustainability, mutualism, justice, autonomy, and peace.

Zed Books, 1994. paper; 240 pp. ISBN 1-85649-184-6 US$19.95

GENDER ANALYSIS AND PLANNING

GENDER EQUITY

Concepts and Tools for Development

This handbook discusses how gender analysis can be used to improve gender equity in development projects, programmes, and institutions. It examines conceptual issues on gender and development; gender training as a basic component of equitable development; implementation of gender-focused development; and the agendas at the UN world conferences on population (Cairo 1996) and on women (Beijing 1995) that pertain to gender equity. Includes glossary; summary of the Beijing Platform for Action.

Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA), 1996. paper; 43 pages. US$10.00

A MANUAL FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND GENDER ANAYLSIS

Responding to the Development Challenge

Barbara Thomas-Slaytor, Rachel Polestico, Andrea Esser, Octavia Taylor and Elvina Mutua

This book for socio-economic and gender analysis provides development professionals -- planners, organisers, educators, project managers, or community catalysts -- with concepts and tools to facilitate local empowerment and capacity-building to make their work more effective and appropriate to the needs and interests of local people. The Manual introduces a conceptual framework which makes socio-economic and gender analysis (SEGA) central to the processes of securing effective development. It offers 40 participatory tools and strategies for socioeconomic and gender analysis, provides mini-case studies of NGO development activities in different settings around the world, and suggests ways to clarify objectives and to measure effectiveness. The SEGA approach enables the development professional to conceptualise social and community change in new ways by highlighting the interconnected processes in environmental, social and economic change, and by clarifying the relevance of social factors in determining access to, and control over, resources.

Clark University/Ecology, Community Organization (ECOGEN), 1995. paper; 278 pp. US$27.00

ASSESSING THE GENDER IMPACT OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

Case Studies from Bolivia, Burkina Faso, and India

Vera Gianotten, Verona Groverman, Edith Van Walsum and Lida Zuidberg

This book examines structural gender inequality inherent in the social, economic, cultural, and political contexts of project design and development, looking at specific projects in Bolivia, Burkina Faso, and India on gender impact assessment. A detailed description of the three-phase methodological framework and its application to actual programmes makes this book an excellent tool for those interested in development projects that will truly empower women.

IT Publications, 1994. paper; 112 pp. ISBN 1-85339-271-5 US$24.95

GENDER ANALYSIS IN DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

Aruna Rao, Mary B. Anderson and Catherine A. Overholt (Eds.)

Gender Analysis in Development Planning presents a gender analysis framework and case studies which illustrate alternative management strategies, evaluation techniques, and problem-solving to be used for gender training workshops.

Teaching Notes, also available, provide guidelines for using the cases and includes questions for discussion. It is especially valuable for development students and practitioners. Kumarian Press, 1991. paper; Cases: 102 pp. ISBN 0-931816-61-0 US$15.95

Teaching Notes: 25 pp. ISBN 0-931816-62-9 US$7.95

GENDER PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Theory, Practice and Training

Caroline O. N. Moser

Based on an analysis of policy and feminist theoretical approaches to gender roles, resource allocation and household decision-making, this book offers a rationale for the key principles of gender planning. Moser examines constraints on gender-planning implementation, and analyses institutional structures and procedures within which to integrate gender into the project planning cycle.

Routledge, 1993. paper; 285 pp. ISBN 0-415-05621-7 US$18.95

TWO HALVES MAKE A WHOLE

Balancing Gender Relations in Development

Two Halves Make a Whole uses a "gender and development" framework to examine the overall relations of inequality between men and women in development programmes. This book is a practical guide which is valuable for training purposes. Includes: an overview of gender training theory and practice; suggestions for designing gender and development programmes; sample training exercises; and guidance in the use of case studies as a learning tool.

CCIC/MATCH, 1991. paper; 178 pages. US$24.95

SEE ALSO: Another Point of View. (Category: Training)

Gender Relations Analysis: A Guide for Trainers.(Category: Training)

The Oxfam Gender Training Manual.(Category: Training)

Tools for the Field: Methodologies Hand-book for Gender Analysis.(Category: Agriculture)

GENDER AND INSTITUTIONS

GENDER EQUITY

Concepts and Tools for Development

Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA), 1996. paper; 43 pages. US$10.00

GENDER IN DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATIONS

Caroline Sweetman (Ed.)

New from Oxfam’s Focus on Gender series, this book draws together the experiences of organisations working to promote women’s full participation in the development process. Topics range from feminist perspectives on organisational change and the formulation of a more gender-sensitive Human Development Index to UNIFEM’s work with women entrepreneurs in Lebanon. It presents case-studies on the implementation of gender policies in several organisations: ACORD, a consortium of NGOs working on poverty alleviation in Africa; the Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre and Network; and the Association for Rural Advancement in South Africa. Contributors include Anne Marie Goetz, Aruna Rao and Rieky Stuart, Randa Husseini, and Hope Chigudu.

Oxfam, 1997. paper; 72 pages. ISBN 0-85598-365-5. US$12.95

MAY I PROPOSE

A Guide to Grant Writing

Ayelet Illany and Aliza Mazor

Developed by a fund in Israel and targeted mainly at foundations in the US, this easy-to-use manual guides non-profit organisations through the whole process of fund-raising. It reviews the basic issues and discusses each stage: planning; identifying funding sources; formatting and developing the proposal; types of correspondence with donor agencies; following-up and record-keeping. Written at a very basic level, and interspersed throughout with examples, charts and figures (including sample budgets) which can be adapted for almost any proposal, this volume is invaluable for the development of essential fundraising skills in registered non-profit organisations.

Shatil, 1996. paper; 81 pages. US$15.00

WORLD BANK PARTICIPATION SOURCEBOOK

This Sourcebook describes the approaches of the World Bank to Participation, highlighting the key themes and common elements of this concept at every stage of the project cycle. It includes personal staff accounts of approaches used in 16 Bank-supported operations worldwide and outlines various steps of participatory planning and decision-making, including how to facilitate input from and active participation by women’s groups. Appendices describe participatory methods and techniques, ranging from Appreciation-Influence-Control to Participatory Rural Appraisal and Gender Analysis, with summaries of 18 Bank background papers on participation. While primarily written for Bank Task Managers, this manual is also an important reference for those who use participatory approaches in their professional work.

World Bank, 1996. paper; 209 pages. ISBN 0-8213-3558-8. US$15.95

ACCOUNTABILITY IN DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATIONS

Experiences of Women's Organisations in India

Poonam Smith-Sreen

The current emphasis on "participatory development" has led to an increasing interest in accountability within development organisations. This book presents one of few systematic studies of this phenomenon. Based on case studies of four grassroots organisations involved in income-generating activities for women in India, it develops tools for assessing member-accountability. The study demonstrates the relationship between accountability and benefits to members. It examines functioning and management styles, and highlights the need to generate and implement economic activities for women as a means of enhancing their self-reliance and decision-making roles in society.

This book will be of considerable interest to scholars and practitioners in community development, women's studies, and sociology, especially at the grassroots level. Tables; figures; bibliography.

Sage Publications, 1995. cloth; 297 pp. ISBN 0-8039-9221-1 US$24.95

AFRICAN WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT

A History

Margaret C. Snyder and Mary Tadesse

This book combines an excellent historical overview of women and development in Africa over two decades with a description and assessment of present policies and of future opportunities, based on the development experiences of the African Training and Research Centre for Women (ATRCW). Statistical information on health, education, and employment is skillfully combined with interview material to create an understanding of the realities women face.

Zed Books, 1995. paper; 256 pp. ISBN 1-85649-300-8 US$19.95

SEE ALSO: The Elusive Agenda (Category: Theoretical and Conceptual Issues).

Women and Sustainable Development in Africa (Category: Environment and Sustainable Development).

SORRY, THIS TITLE IS NOW OUT OF PRINT!

FOCUSING ON WOMEN

UNIFEM's Experience in Mainstreaming

Mary B. Anderson

This paper discusses the broader experience of individuals, institutions and governments involved in mainstreaming women in development, with a specific focus on the approach of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). UNIFEM's experimental approaches to mainstreaming are examined to address controversial questions and to suggest strategies.

UNIFEM, 1993. paper; 28 pp. ISBN 0-912917-42-3 US$7.95

SEE ALSO: The Elusive Agenda: Mainstreaming Women in Development (Category: Theoretical and Conceptual Issues).

GENDER ISSUES IN WORLD BANK LENDING

Josette L. Murphy

This report examines World Bank strategy to integrate gender issues in Bank lending across sectors and the resulting outcomes. It reconstructs the evolution of Bank thought and actions, and describes the characteristics of 615 projects with some gender-related action. Tables; bibliography. Executive summaries in French and Spanish.

World Bank, 1995. paper; 131 pp. ISBN 0-8213-3213-9 US$9.95

GENDER MAINSTREAMING

A Study of the Efforts by the UNDP, the World Bank and the ILO to Institutionalize Gender Issues

Shahra Razavi and Carol Miller

This paper documents the efforts of the UN Development Programme, the World Bank, the International Labour Office, and of the UN system generally, towards "mainstreaming" -- bringing women's concerns into the centre stage of development. It discusses the integration of gender issues into the organisation's activities and diffusion of this responsibility through training and gender guidelines. Charts; bibliography.

UNRISD, 1995. paper; 86 pp. ISBN 1020-3354 US$5.00

GENDER PLANNING IN DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES

Meeting the Challenge

Mandy Macdonald (Ed.)

This collection of articles is based on a EUROSTEP workshop on developing common strategies for integrating gender-fair policies and practices into their programmes. 'Keynote papers' address gender analysis and planning while 'thematic papers' examine the involvement of local women in project design and gender integration in evaluation. Case studies; tables.

Oxfam, 1994. paper; 232 pp. ISBN 0-85598-263-2 US$15.95

INVESTING IN WOMEN

Progress and Prospects for the World Bank

Mayra Buvinic, Catherine Gwin and Lisa M. Bates (Eds.)

Complementing a 1995 internal review of the entire portfolio of World Bank projects, Investing in Women examines the Bank's overall record on gender and development issues. Based on interviews with staff and reviews of Bank documents concerning selected lending activities, specific chapters highlight promising projects on women in the context of population and health, education, agriculture, and credit. They examine areas of unrealised opportunities in projects on infrastructure and employment generation for poor women. The report also identifies a number of cross-cutting issues and further challenges in the Bank's work to benefit women.

Overseas Development Council/International Council for Research on Women, 1996. paper; 114 pp. ISBN 1-56517-018-0 US$13.95

MAKING WOMEN MATTER

The Role of the United Nations

Hilkka Pietila and Jeanne Vickers

Making Women Matter, written from a non-governmental perspective, examines what the UN has actually accomplished in its efforts to enhance the status of women. This post-Beijing edition comes with a new introduction that overviews the 1995 UN Fourth World Conference and parallel NGO Forum for Women.

Zed Books (Third Edition), 1996. paper; 198 pp. ISBN 1-85649-458-6 US$17.50

TRANSFORMING DEVELOPMENT

Women, Poverty and Politics

Margaret Snyder

Transforming Development tells the story of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), its beginnings and its unique role in the development system. It presents mini case studies of UNIFEM projects for economic empowerment, social justice, and political participation in nearly 20 countries. This book is a key resource for anyone involved in international development or concerned with women's equality.

IT Publications, 1995. paper; 313 pp. ISBN 1-85339-302-9 US$32.95

THE GIRL CHILD

ACTION GUIDE FOR GIRLS' EDUCATION

The Action Guide for Girls' Education takes a rare, in-depth look at the obstacles girls face in receiving an equitable education. Issue-raising vignettes depict the reality of girls' and women's lives, illustrating both encouraging and disempowering aspects of various situations worldwide. Five thematic sections discuss: girls' access to education; safety in school, particularly sexual harassment; content and curriculum; the school environment, including teacher attitudes, classroom atmosphere and teaching methods; and strategies for action. Statistics and a variety of activities and discussion questions will enable school and community groups analyse, discuss and develop strategies for improving the education of girls in their own locale.

San Francisco Bay Area Girls' Education Network, 1995. paper; 50 pp. US$9.95

CHOOSE A FUTURE

Issues and Options for Adolescent Girls

Choose a Future, a unique curriculum of participatory activities, helps girls and young women examine issues and options in their lives, set goals, develop new skills in analysis and decision-making, and build self-esteem. Field-tested in India, Nepal, Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Mexico and Uganda, the manual contains 12 modules that can be adapted to meet individual needs. Girls are actively involved in creating their own solutions to situations they encounter at home, in school, at work, and with male and female peers. Activities such as skits, stories, games, crafts, and other activities stimulate learning and participation.

Sessions on work, marriage, and motherhood help girls explore positive options available to them. In sessions on reproductive health, girls discuss sexuality and life-long health, education, and economic effects of early pregnancy. Abuse, violence and harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation and female infanticide are given special attention.

The Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA), 1996. paper, 162 pp. US$25.00

GIRLS' SCHOOLING, WOMEN'S AUTONOMY AND FERTILITY IN SOUTH ASIA

Roger Jeffery and Alaka M. Basu (Eds.)

This volume challenges the popular assumption of a universal and causal relationship between higher levels of schooling and declining fertility levels. With primary evidence from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, as well as census and survey data, it explores the interrelated issues of women's autonomy, girls' schooling and fertility reduction in South Asia. It concludes that while schooling is important for women, resources for education should not be at the expense of providing women-friendly contraceptive and maternal/child health services that enable couples to successfully plan family size. This book will be essential reading for demographers, planners, funding bodies and social anthropologists, and to students of gender studies and South Asian affairs.

Sage Publications, 1996. cloth; 339 pp. ISBN 0-8039-9276-9 US$38.00

IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF GIRLS

Kathleen M. Kurz and Cynthia J. Prather

This report presents new information on the quality of life of girls in developing countries, focusing particularly on their health, education, and social well-being. Based on the discussions at and after the Association of Women in Development Forum (1993), it identifies major constraints on the quality of life of girls by three different age categories. These range from mortality, health care, and nutrition deficits for very young children to sexual and other forms of gender violence, pregnancy and cultural vulnerability faced by teenage girls. The report identifies programmes and policies that show promise for overcoming these constraints, and provides illustrations from different countries and agencies.

Given the lack of accessible research in this area, this will be an important reference for decision makers, policy planners, implementors, and others who are interested in improving girls' lives. Statistics; photographs; bibliography.

Association for Women in Development/UNICEF, 1995. paper; 77 pp. ISBN 92-806-3185-3 US$11.95

THE BURDEN OF GIRLHOOD

A Global Inquiry into the Status of Girls

Neera Kuckreja Sohoni

The Burden of Girlhood comes as a welcome addition to our understanding of gender discrimination in childhood, when girls are victimised on account of age as well as gender. It analyses constraints experienced by girls with respect to: culture and socialisation; marriage; demographics; health and survival; education; work; violence; and affirmative action. Tables; case studies; bibliography.

Third Party Publishing Company, 1995. paper; 256 pp. ISBN 0-89914-0408 US$19.95

SEE ALSO: The State of the World's Children (Category: Reference).