Women and sustainable development.

Abstract

Gender issues in sustainable development focuses on constraints, the policy environment, land rights, the division of labor, reproductive rights, human resource development, productive energy, care of children, education, politics, security, social norms, and women's initiatives. African women's participation in the development process has been limited by the policy environment, sociocultural setting, and women's initiatives. African policy has not recognized the different roles that men and women play. There is unequal division of labor, legal discrimination against women, and abuse of women's basic human rights. Women's subordinate position in society and their concrete needs are ignored. Land tenure and credit systems are based on discriminatory policies. Women share a major portion and in some cases all of the agricultural labor with few tools or equipment. The operating assumption is that women's labor supply is inelastic. In order to fully participate in the development process, women need to be able to determine the number of children needed, the spacing between children, and the timing and the method of contraception. Human resource development in Africa has focused on training men. Women must contribute a major portion of time and labor to processing and cooking food in addition to caring for children. Access to higher education is limited. Political accords have been reached without women when women have contributed significantly to political struggles. Social security is compromised during violence and civil strife. There is sexual harassment in the work place. Culture can subordinate women. Women have been unable to change policy making, planning, and patriarchal ideology. Women are marginal contributors to the labor force. Income-generating projects are primarily confined to the informal sector. The governments impose the women's programs. Political influence is highly desired if change in women's stature is to be accomplished.