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York University
Essay Assignment #2: Women In development
Sarah Tharia
21412904
Introduction to International Development SOSC 1430
Professor: Miguel Gonzalez
Date of Submission: November 14th 2016
Word Count: 2167
Tharia
2
Today, women play a crucial and integral part of society. After many years,
modern society has finally, begun to recognize women as more than just individuals who
are to be only responsible for domestic duties. However, this is not the case in all parts of
the world. It is evident that a gender gap still exists. Favoring the male race is more
common in third world nations than in rich and more developed ones, although still
mildly present. According to the United Nations’ report World’s Women 2010 there has
been much progress in education and health care for women, but states that women are
still a long way from achieving full equality with men, especially in developing countries.
Women are excluded from jobs with status and are further disproportionately affected by
poverty and domestic violence. The contents of this paper will argue that The Women
in Development perspective clearly provides a useful approach to the durability of
gender inequalities in underdeveloped nations as it emphasizes and explores various
area’s of female subordination issues and further analyses the gender division of
labor. Thereafter, providing concrete solutions that can be useful in effectively
minimizing the gap of inequality that exists between men and women today.
Over the years, development programs have been criticized for not giving
importance to the growing gender gap and the devastating impact it has had on
women. However, there has been a shift to integrate women in hopes of eliminating
poverty and low social economical status. Women in development is an approach to
development projects that emerged in the 1970’s by the Liberal Feminist movement
calling for improved treatment of women’s issues in development projects. It is the
integration of women into the global economies by improving their status where needed
(Haslam, Shafer, Beaudet 93).
Tharia
3
It can be said that one of the main reasons for gender inequality in third
world nations is established deeply from the continuous problem of the
subordination of women. Women worldwide experience subordination in the form of
jobs, education and sexuality. Fortunately today, in western society men and women are
able to enjoy almost equal rights as both sexes are able to own businesses and take part in
politics to name a few. However, This is not the case in all parts of the world,
subordination still mildly exists in Western societies however, it is more common for
those in underdeveloped nations. For all societies, the common denominator for gender
division is female subordination, although relations of power between men and women
may be experienced and expressed in different societies and at different times. The
United Nations Development Program unequivocally concluded that no society treats its
