FROM A WID TOWARDS A GAD APPROACH

In the past decade, the discourse on the advancement of women and its relation to the development process has evolved. Essentially, it has shifted in focus from the approach of Women in Development (WID) to the approach of Gender and Development (GAD). The policy orientation of WID did not address the basic structure of inequality in the relationship between women and men, as it had a tendency to focus solely on women. This realization opened a whole new debate. The shift in theoretical approach placed gender, and the unequal power relations between women and men, as a central category of analysis. In this context, the GAD approach requires that social, political and economic structures and development policies are re-examined from the perspective of gender relations.

WHAT IS GENDER ALL ABOUT?

Gender

is not synonymous with women.
refers to the social, economic, and cultural roles and relations between women and men.
takes into account the different responsibilities of women and men in a given culture or location.

Gender Analysis

is a tool to assist in strengthening development planning implementation, monitoring and evaluation; to make programmes and projects more efficient and relevant.

Gender mainstreaming

involves ensuring that attention to gender equality is a central part of all development interventions.

Gender-sensitive indicators

are used to monitor progress made in the achievement of gender equality.

MAIN REFERENCES

· The Strategic Framework for FAO 2000-2015
www.fao.org/docrep/X3550E/X3550E00.htm

· FAO Medium Term Plan
www.fao.org/DOCREP/X7572E/X7572E00.HTM

· World Food Summit Plan of Action
www.fao.org/DOCREP/003/W3613E/W3613E00.HTM

· Gender and Food Security - The Role of Information - Strategy for Action
www.fao.org/docrep/x4745e/x4745e00.htm

· Beijing Platform for Action
www.un.org/esa/gopher-data/conf/fwcw/off/a--20.en

SOME MILESTONES TOWARDS GENDER EQUALITY

FAO	UN
2002-2007 THIRD PLAN OF ACTION GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT (GAD)	2000 UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY SPECIAL SESSION - BEIJING + 5
1996-2001 SECOND PLAN OF ACTION WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT (WID)	1995 FOURTH WCW -BEIJING BEIJING PLATFORM FOR ACTION

1989-1995 FIRST PLAN OF ACTION INTEGRATION OF WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT	1990 THIRD WCW -COPENHAGEN MID-TERM REVIEW

	1985 SECOND WCW -NAIROBI FORWARD-LOOKING STRATEGIES (NFLS)

	1975-1985 UN DECADE FOR WOMEN

	1975 FIRST WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN (WCW)