| Definition |
Women are the main target population and participants in a women-specific project |
| This approach may be particularly appropriate where: |
- cultural traditions do not allow women and men to work together
- cultural traditions inhibit women from speaking out or contradicting opinions expressed by men in the community
- male emigration has created new roles and responsibilities for women
- already established autonomous women's groups have proven their effectiveness as mobilizers and organizers and can collaborate in project implementation
- women have had less formal education than men, and thus may need remedial training to participate as equal partners
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| Some advantages of the women-specific approach include: |
- increased flexibility and responsiveness to women's needs, particularly for types of training required to encourage and enhance women's participation
- more decision-making opportunities and leadership roles for women, which can translate into improved self-esteem and respect for women within the community
- the opportunity for women to take initiatives generally considered outside their domain. Project success may change societal perceptions about women's roles, abilities and economic contribution
- the possibility of creating stronger and enduring women's intitutions which may eventually play catalytic and supportive roles for women's initiatives
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| Some disadvantages of the women-specific approach include: |
- the risk that it will contribute to continued isolation of women from mainstream development activities
- the danger of these projects being used as token indicators of efforts on behalf of women, without any strong policy commitment to integrating gender concerns into the overall development process
- the tendency to incorporate a strong welfare orientation, rather than elements that promote women's empowerment
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| In designing women-specific projects it is important to ensure that: |
- the project is placed in a ministry or organization that has the necessary time, resources and technical expertise. For example, women's projects placed in Ministries of Social Affairs or Women's Concerns may prohibit access to technical skills and resources, unless coordination with other ministries is pre-arranged
- the project design taakes into account the specific realities of women's. For example, hiring women extension workers in areas where women are the primary participants is a positive step. Avoid requiring volunteer labour or other non-remunerated inputs from community women who are already overburdened by domestic and/or agricultural responsibilities
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