Clairesulek

Dec. 11 Final Additions to Gender and microfinance

After current paragraph 3:

Some arguments that microcredit is not effective insist that the structure of the economy, with large informal and agriculture sectors, do not provide a system in which borrowers can be successful. In Nigeria, where the informal economy is approximately 45-60% of economy, women working within it could not attain access to microcredit because of the high demand for loans triggered by high unemployment rates in the formal sector. This study found Nigerian woman are forced into “the hustle” and enhanced risk of the informal economy, which is unpredictable and contributes to women’s inability to repay the loans.  Another example from a study conducted in Arampur, Bangladesh, found that microcredit programs within the agrarian community do not effectively help the borrower pay their loan because the terms of the loan are not compatible with farm work. If was found that MFIs force borrowers to repay before the harvesting season starts and in some cases endure the struggles of sharecropping work that is funded by the loan.

After current paragraph 4:

In contrast, out of a study conducted on 205 different MFIs, they concluded that there is still gender discrimination within microfinance institutions themselves and microcredit which impact the existing discrimination within communities as well. In Bangladesh, another outcome seen for some of the Grameen recipients was that they faced domestic abuse as a result of their husbands feeling threatened about women bringing in more income. A study in Uganda also noted that men felt threatened through increased female financial dominance, increasing women’s vulnerability at home.

Through the “constructivist feminist standpoint,” women can understand that the limitations they face are not inherent and in fact, “constructed” by traditional gender roles, which they have the ability to challenge through owning their own small business. Through this focus, a study focused on the Foundation for International Community Assistance’s (FINCA) involvement and impact in Peru, where women are made aware of the “machismo” patriarchal culture in which they live through their experiences with building small enterprises. In Rajasthan, India, another study found mixed results for women participating in a microlending program. Though many women were not able to pay back their loans, many were still eager to take on debt because their microfinance participation created a platform to address other inequities within the community.

Dec. 5 Draft- Addition to Gender and microfinance

Sentence at the end of after end of paragraph 3 of section, after source 52:

In Nigeria, the informal economy is approximately 45-60% of economy women working within it had trouble accessing microcredit and had high levels of bad debt they could not pay back.  Women in In this study, Nigerian woman are forced into “the hustle” and enhanced risk of the informal economy, which is unpredictable and contributes to women’s inability to repay the loans. A study in Uganda found that women take on more than one loan from multiple microfinance institutions in order to pay off their previous loans, leaving them even more in debt. Another example from a study conducted in Arampur, Bangladesh found that microcredit programs within the agrarian community do not effectively help the borrower pay their loan because the terms of the loan are not compatible for farm work. If was found that MFIs force borrowers to repay before the harvesting season starts and in some cases endure the struggles of sharecropping work that is funded by the loan.

Add new paragraph after existing paragraph 4, after source #54:

Another argument notes that the success of microfinance programs depend upon the lens of analysis. From other perspectives, some insist that microcredit programs perpetuate the gender power imbalance and continually leave women at a disadvantage. Social and family dynamics are impacted if women cannot pay back debt and ask family members for money to repay. Also some argue there is an imbalance of power with the Grameen Bank process, where men were needed in order to carry out investments.

Through the “constructivist feminist standpoint,” women can understand that the limitations they face are not inherent and in fact, “constructed” by tradition gender roles, which they have the ability to challenge through owning their own small business. Through this focus, a study focused on the Foundation for International Community Assistance’s involvement and impact in Peru, where women are made aware of the “machismo” patriarchal culture in which they live through their experiences with building small enterprises. In Rajasthan, India, another study found mixed results for women participating in a microlending program. Though many women were not able to pay back their loans, many were still eager to take on debt because their microfinance participation created a platform to address other inequities within the community.

After existing paragraph 6, after source 56:

Another issue brought forward, out of study conducted on 205 different MFIs, they concluded that there is still gender discrimination within microfinance institutions themselves and microcredit which impact the existing discrimination within communities as well. In Bangladesh, another outcome seen for some the Grameen recipients was that they faced domestic abuse as a result of their husbands feeling threatened about women bringing in more income. A study in Uganda also noted that men felt threatened through increased female financial dominance, increasing women’s vulnerability at home.

Week 10 Working Wiki Addition

Some scholars suggest that when discussing the study of gender and development, the term “development” should be redefined outside the context of just economic development. The difference between development and economic development pushes for very different implications, needs and solutions for women. There are particular studies done focusing on the “sustainable development” of women, meaning achieving long term abilities and methods for women to establish and maintain income and wealth. Further sub-categories of that restrict women’s “sustainable development,” include “policy environment, socio-cultural setting, and women's initiatives. Another way to define sustainable development is through an environmental perspective.

Week 6 Wiki Build a Bibliography

For this assignment, list at least 3 scholarly sources. Under each source, please write 2-3 sentences about the source and how you plan to use it.

I would like to focus on the section on Gender and microfinance, which could use some more content on the influences, effects and systems that result from microcredit activities. Including some more information about microfinance and its effects in India could add more context and strengthen the section.

The end of the section on Gender and microfinance could use some supplement l information on the World Bank’s programs and policies using gender mainstreaming, but especially could use more information about how groups like Gender Action monitor these programs. Adding more information from Baccahi her article on gender mainstreaming and its effectiveness could add more insight.

Also, there is only one sentence on Gender Action and it does not include any further information about their organization. A sentence about how the World Bank and Gender Action work together and create more effective policies and programs from an article titled, “Global: A gender scan on the world bank."

Wikipedia Assignment Week 5: Selecting and Improving an Article  

Article: Gender and development

I would like to add more content to the lead or insert a another paragraph discussing the term “development:”

Some scholars suggest that when discussing the study of gender and development, the term “development” should be redefined outside the context of just economic development. The difference between development and economic development pushes for very different implications, needs and solutions for women. There are particular studies done focusing on the “sustainable development” of women, meaning achieving long term abilities and methods for women to establish and maintain income and wealth. Further sub-categories of that restrict women’s “sustainable development,” include “policy environment, socio-cultural setting, and women's initiatives. Another way to define sustainable development is through an environmental perspective.

To understand more fully the different implemented policies associated with each interpretation of development, it is important to differentiate the definitions and influences of development.  I would also like to possibly explore the sub-topics of the sustainable development, but I’m not sure if everyone with think this is relevant enough.

Something else I would like to explore is the regulation and evolvement of women’s microfinancing systems and through the organization established by Elaine Zuckerman. Gender Action is a group whose goal is to regulate and ensure the inclusion of gender equality and women’s rights into the decision making and policy for large financial institutions, such as the World Bank.

I also found another article that could add some supplementary context to the page about gender mainstreaming and adding more information about Gender Action because the way they monitor gender development is by evaluating the World Banks.

New Citation for "Gender and development"

In between cites 11 and 12

Add sentence:

The WID view and similar classifications based on Western feminism, applied a general definition to the status, experiences and contributions of women and the solutions for women in Third World countries.

I added this sentence to the Criticisms section of WID in order to add more context and explanation to the topic. This section of the article criticizes the WID approach by saying this movement defined women’s role in development, and how women are affected by and affect development strictly through an economic development lens. Rather than taking into account capabilities, values and true needs for women, the WID and western feminist approach both delineate women’s needs based their own standards, such as applying policies to support women in the “workforce.” This disregards the multitude of ways women in developing countries contribute to society and their family, or even personally how women want to contribute to society.

The new source I found to add to this section of the article examines specifically how women of Zimbabwe connect to the overall conversation of women in development. This book discusses the values of women in the country and explains the differences in views and needs within the this specific demographic as well. I also found this source very pertinent to this article because the content of the book examines work from the 1980s when the conversation of gender and development first began.

Evaluating Wikipedia: Gender and development

This Wikipedia article does have a lot of relevant and effectively explained information and after reading, though I found some elements that keep more content and editing. I noticed in the Gender and microfinace portion of the article that they mention a group that oversees many programs that implement a microlending approach to women and development issues. I think this section could possibly use some more information about “Gender Action” and the group keeps an eye on organizations and their microcredit work with women. This group probably has more information on their work, or there are writings about their work that could supplement how effective microfinance programs are on gender equity both economically and in other facets.  

           Moreover, I think the term “development” needs to be addressed and defined in different ways as seen in the article we read in class called, “Under Western eyes: feminist scholarship and colonial discourses” by Chandra Talpade Mohanty. Discussing development with a different definition than economic development creates a new framework to approach analyzing gender and development. The difference between development and economic development pushes for very different implications, needs and solutions for women.

           Furthermore, the first section under the Gender and Development section of the article, the differences between the initial WID perspective and the later GAD framework are introduced. The article does not mention two terms that the textbook discusses where they could expand upon this point by new adding language. In Gender, Development and Globalization: Economics as if All People Mattered pointed out that the focus on “capital accumulation” and the “value system” created uneven income and wage disparities that greatly affected women and men differently. Benería and Sen’s key focus is to expand the view of how gender is impacted by economic development and redefine Boserup’s definition of “colonialism” and the true needs of women in order to encapsulate their entire experience. Including links to capital accumulation and a value system would also add more insight about the topic as well.

           As for where the article could be improved, the first section of the article lies out quite broadly the programs and policies targeted at women initially when development and gender were first discussed as a movement. The sentence reads, “Women first came into focus in development as objects of welfare policies, including those focused on birth control, nutrition, and pregnancy.^[1]” Though this statement is true and the same perspective and types of action remain today, I think this could use some explanation afterword. Or because of the complexity of the topic and the intersecting layers that encompass women and development, maybe the introduction to the sentence could include more context as to how women came to fit into development as they did in the past and do now.

Something else that I think could be improved is the section on the dependency theory. Just because I am someone who does not know much about the topic, I think this section could use some buffing up with more information in studies done. I would like to see more information pertaining to its application or the view’s idea on possible solutions.

In the second paragraph of the “Theoretical approach” under WID, I really think the point about the roots of women’s strict domestic role in both their homes and in relation to development is underrepresented and use more information. I think more could be added in this section to supplement the context of the approach. Another example of Ester Boserup’s work is explained in our text book, that talks about Boserup’s research in Africa, using the negative effect of “cash crop agriculture” (Taylor an Francis pg. 12) on both men, but mostly women, as explanation for a call for more education programs and resources for women and support developmental gender equality.

           Additionally, this example could be used in the “Criticism” section of the article under WID because it gives further explanation and insight into the later gender and development approach. Our textbook also identifies the arguments and views that complicate WID, like the authors, Beneria and Sen, who argue that female education is not the ultimate solution to the problems women face because of global development and the programs and policies associated with them.

I also noticed that the article did not contain any discussion about postmodernism, though it does mention and link to post-colonialism. I think postmodern feminism and its perspectives and views on development are significant and could be included more in the article. In our textbook, there is an entire section on this view’s approach to development and gender that I think is worth including in this article, even if it is just supplemental to the information already presented.

            Also, this article in part of WikiProject Gender Studies and WikiProject International development. Because this topic is a very complex and intersecting one, it falls under both categories. This is very interesting because the Gender Studies Wikiproject monitors and keeps up to date articles, such as “Gender and development,” to avoid prejudice and subjectivity based on gender, while also including other complex topics like “microfinance” into the article. I also notice, under the “To Do List” tab for WikiProject International Development, there are a plethora of articles in need of more information, while WikiProject Gender studies just lists some articles within their project that are under review. Both the lack of a working to-do list for Gender studies project, in correlation with the bias tone the Gender and development article already notes of, it seems there is little awareness and encouragement to add to less neutral content.

In addition, this article does even have a rating based on a quality scale or importance scale, so it could use more information about the topic overall. In order to for this article to gain more popularity, this article will need more robust information and insights to then receive ratings.