WOMEN ’ S DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH CENTRE ( KANITA )

1. WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH CENTRE (KANITA)

2. KANITA 30 years+ of history 1978: Research Project Women & Human Resource Studies Unit Women’s Development Research Centre

3. GENDER EQUALITY E m p o w e r m e n t Economic & social Development (empowerment) Sustainable Development Policy & Law Family Health Media GENDER MAINSTREAMING KANITA’S Core Areas

4. MAIN ACTIVITIES Research Academic Intellectual discourses Consultancy and capacity-building Networking and advocacy

5. MAIN ACTIVITIES Research: >> Focus on gender and women’s development (but not limited) > social development impact > policy development impact > academic development impact >> Strategic research i.e areas which can have policy implications or not researched before

6. MAIN ACTIVITIES Examples under research university grant: A country level study on women’s well being and domestic violence against women A study of enforcement and justice agencies within the legal framework of domestic violence in Malaysia Empowering women through micro-credit: A gender analysis of empowerment Developing a theoretical model of collective action for empowerment of Malaysian women’s organisation

7. e) Theorizing the welfares state: Health system in transition f) Single women and single mothers: A study of the construction of gender roles and identity g) Developing a local-based theoretical understanding of domestic violence against wives h) Gender mainstreaming and corporate social responsibility Continued…

8. i) Marriage and divorce in Malaysia: Factoring in cultural and religion (Collaboration with ARI, NUS) State boundaries, cultural politics and gender negotiations in commercially arranged marriages in Singapore and Malaysia (Collaboration with ARI, NUS) k) A study on the impact of polygamy on the quality of life among Muslims in Malaysia (in collaboration with Sisters in Islam) Continued…

9. WHY GENDER CLUSTER • Gender is a cross-cutting issue which cuts across every field e.g. Engineering, Social Sciences, Education, HBP, Management, Health, Computer, etc • Gender lens fits USM’s vision>> interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and trans-disciplinary research • Offers different perspectives and expertise on common issues that benefit the “bottom billion.” • It’s a new framework in development >> policies, programs are not gender neutral

10. How do we go about… Research Rethinking assumptions/ rethinking practice Gender perspective (routine practices) Gender neutral (outcome benefit for both gender) vs gender specific (outcome to meet the necessity one )

11. Working towards GLIDE Conceptual clarification Presenting Concept and Framework on GLIDE Follow- up with potential schools to collaborate Launching GLIDE

12. Concept and Framework: RESEARCH CLUSTER ON “GLIDE”Gender Inequality and Empowerment in Livelihood and Development Issues (GLIDE) GLIDE is Interdisciplinary & Transdiciplinary

13. Gender Equality: A Cornerstone of Development • Gender equality is, first and foremost, a human right. Women are entitled to live in dignity and in freedom from want and from fear. Empowering women is also an indispensable tool for advancing development. (UNFPA, 2008)

14. KEYWORDS • G- Gender • L- Livelihoods • I- (In)equality • D- Development • E- Empowerment

15. GENDER • Law and policy • Rights • Governance (CEDAW) • Access • Opportunity • Result Development Livelihood x Health ICT EMPOWERMENT (IN)EQUALITY

16. GENDER • Gender, unlike sex, is a social construct • Hence, access and control of resoruces are different >> gender inequality • Practical and strategic needs • Policy, resources more likely to overlook the needs of marginalize groups, e.g. women, children, poor household, etc. • A more Gender equitable society >> gender equality

17. (IN) Equality Gender discrimination is pervasive. While the degrees and forms of inequality may vary, women and girls are deprived of equal access to resources, opportunities and political power in every region of the world. If poverty is to become history, then gender inequality must first be eliminated. Bold initiatives and unflinching determination are required to end individual and institutional gender discrimination. Attitudes, customs and values that are detrimental to women and girls must be confronted. No history, legacy, religion or cultural tradition can justify inequality and disempowerment. (UNICEF, 2008)

18. (In)Equality Gender Inequality or Equality? What is the standard by which the achievement of gender equality is to be judged It is a rights based issue-women and men should have equal rights (entitlements and opportunities) But question is whether women should be treated the same as all men without consideration of their differences

19. Definition of empowerment • Different levels of empowerment: I. Individual: >> autonomy >> control >> bodily integrity >> decision-making • Social relations: >> negotiation >> access and control of resources >> decision-making >> negotiation • Collective activity, solidarity networks, political leverage and becomes a movement. (ESCAP (1994) Women in Asia and the Pacific, 1985-1993)

20. Definition of empowerment Empowerment generally refers to the recognition that women legitimately have the ability and should, individually and collectively, participate effectively in decision-making processes that shape their societies and their own lives. OECD, 1998 .

21. development? CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATION What isDEVELOPMENT? Economic development? Social development? Human development?

22. DEVELOPMENT • Economic development • Social development • Human development • Closing the gap between the rich and • the poor • To reduce gender inequity • To reduce gender inequality

23. Capability Approach (CA) in Development The CA places people at the centre of the development process People are regarded as the primary ends as well as the principal means of development. In particular the CA recognises that well-being is multidimensional and embraces the full range of ‘doings’ and ‘beings’ that contribute to a good form of life.

24. Continued… • Well-being should be measured not according to what individuals actually do (functioning) but what they can do (capability) • The expansion of women's capabilities not only enhances women's own freedom and well-being, but also has many other effects on the lives of all- - men as well as women, children as well as adults. (Sen, 2001)

25. Gender and Development • A process to change the balance of power, transforming lives and societies • Gender lens is taken on board and need to do gender analysis • Development process not gender neutral and may affect women and men differently

26. SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS What are livelihoods approaches? Livelihoods approaches are a way of thinking about the objectives, scope and priorities for development >> place people and their priorities at the centre of development. >> focus poverty reduction interventions on empowering the poor to build on their own opportunities, supporting their access to assets, and developing an enabling policy and institutional environment.

27. Continued… Core to livelihoods approaches are a set of principles that underpin best practice in any development intervention: • People-centred • Responsive and participatory • Multi-level

28. Examples of Livelihoods TOOL: Gender Analysis for Sustainable Livelihoods Framework Sustainable Livelihoods v. Other Tentative Areas: a. Migration b. Natural Resource Management iv. Health i. ICT for development iii. Water and Sanitation ii. Agriculture

29. Example 1: Sharing the caring • Focus on the chronically ill • Gender roles in caregiving (class, resources) • Policy implications (extension of healthcare) • Economics (cost, time, jobs, pathway to poverty, single mothers and loss of employment opportunities • NGOs & community; politics of caring (governance) • Technology / equipment for chronically ill (eg bathing equipment)

30. Trans-disciplinary collaboration: • KANITA • Health & Medical Sciences (compliance, healthcare, training) • Social Sciences • Management • Engineering & Technology(equipment) • Pharmacy (accessibility to drugs) • Humanities (language & literature of caring; geography : spaces for caring) • Communications (media portrayal & language used to cover caring cases) • Housing, Building & Planning (layout, accessibility)

31. Other examples: 1. Environment : development, health, livelihood, renewable resources (alternative fuel sources (eg solar energy)

32. Trans-disciplinary collaboration: Housing Building Planning, Biological sciences, Social Science, Humanities, CENPRIS, Management, School of Distance Learning, Health, Engineering (Sungai & Saliran), Oceanography

33. 2. Religious conflict: impact of religion on gender, empowerment and inequality (eg divorce, interfaith and mixed race marriages, polygamy), unequal power structures

34. Trans-disciplinary collaboration: Humanities, Education, Communications, Social Science, CENPRIS, School of Distance Learning, Management

35. 3. Poverty: tackling poverty by focusing on inequality Trans-disciplinary collaboration: Humanities, Education, Communications, Social Science, CENPRIS, School of Distance Learning, Management

36. 4. Politics and social contract: governance, rights of minorities, gender inequality and empowerment of women, related to caring

37. Transdisciplinary collaboration: Humanities, Education, Communications, Social Science, CENPRIS, School of Distance Education, Management

38. 5. ICT: Social issues in ICT Women’s participation in ICT-based enterprise, globalisation, labor, history, media, to bridge the digital divide; to build capacity so that local people can create local content for news broadcasting; how community groups can build skills in video making in order to communicate health information

39. Transdisciplinary collaboration: KANITA Computer sciences Social Sciences Humanities Business school Engineering