To take it in its most basic form, Indian economist Amartya Sen’s vision of development is a process of ever expanding freedoms equally for all. It is logical, that if we are to follow Sen’s line of reasoning on ‘development as freedom’, then equality for women in the development process is of paramount and fundamental importance.
Yet, despite progress, the realisation of this ‘equality’ remains a distant dream.
‘Development’ should mean less poverty and hunger, better direct access to basic needs and growing access to participation in policies and practices designed to ensure these needs. It should also mean fewer ‘gaps’ in all aspects of life for men, women, boys and girls.
Equality for women should be and needs to be relentlessly pursued as an intrinsic part of development, rather than an optional or secondary outcome of current development end-goals or priorities.
The role of women in development and the Sustainable Development Goals
Once again, the Sustainable Development Goals agenda adopted in 2015 has been forced to ‘single out’ the role of women in development. Despite decades of argument and debate, it seems that while we make (instrumental) progress, we continue to fail on many of the basics. As argued by Irish President Michael D. Higgins at the Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in 2016:
‘A healthy society is, by definition, unachievable if it is based on the marginalisation of women and girls.’
The history of the struggle for gender equality has consistently demonstrated that empowering women effectively will benefit the process of human development itself, the economy and the broader society at every possible level – it is a ‘yeast’ for human well-being. This is true universally and particularly so in the developing world.
The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) agenda has been widely welcomed as offering an ambitious platform for advancing human development, yet it has been severely criticised for offering a model or framework for development which fails to address several realities – realities that undermine much of its vision and ambition. One of these realities is the importance of the role of women in achieving these goals.
Some examples illustrate the importance in prioritising women’s development in human development (or more specifically, within the SDGs framework) in relation to these realities:
Poverty reduction
Women account for 6 of every 10 poorest people worldwide; improved access to resources will directly increase household incomes. For example, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation argues that by ensuring women have increased access to human capital, credit, land and fertiliser, total agricultural production could increase by between 6-20% in sub-Saharan Africa alone because of the central role of women in agriculture and food production.
Improved education and health
According to the World Resources Institute’s EarthTrends, from 1975 to 1995, gains in women’s education in 63 different countries contributed significantly to a reduction in malnutrition and, as catalogued by the World Health Organisation, significant improvement in basic family health.
Participation
According to UN Women, when women have a greater voice and participate more fully in governance and administration, public resources are more likely to be allocated towards investments in human development priorities including child health and nutrition.
Time and time again, research has demonstrated that when women have equal rights and can lead healthy lives with real participation and ownership of the ‘development agenda’, not only individuals but whole communities and nations prosper.
‘All of us, men and women, must do better.’ Chimamanda Adiche
This is an edited excerpt from ‘Women, Development and (dis)empowerment’ in 80-20 Development in an Unequal World, 7th Edition, published in November 2016 by 80:20 Educating and Acting for a Better World and the New Internationalist. For UK orders visit ethicalshop.org or more info visit www.8020.ie
Ciara Regan is Editor of 80-20 Development in an Unequal World, 7th Edition
