Thesis
Gender Inequality: The Shift from Gender Mainstreaming to Gender Transformative Approaches
Masters by Research, Murdoch University
Abstract
Prevailing gender inequality has led to the need for a more precise understanding of what constitutes women’s empowerment, who defines empowerment and what has worked to achieve more equal power relations between men, women and other genders. Women’s empowerment in international aid and development has led to a growing criticism for its apolitical use, not questioning power relations, neglecting context-specificity, and being imposed by Western donors. In recent decades, we’ve seen shifts in gender approaches to address gender inequality, signifying a shift from gender mainstreaming to gender transformative approaches (GTAs) in international development. The emergence of GTAs generates a relatively new model to redress gender inequality in both the practice and theory of international development. There is a burgeoning literature on GTAs—stemming from both theory and practice—that recognises long-term change toward gender equality is more likely to be achieved when development programming adopts GTAs.
This thesis responds to the call in the literature to rethink gender and development (GAD) using gender transformative approaches as an emerging response to women’s empowerment and gender inequality. This thesis examines the recent advancements within GAD literature and practice. First, it reviews the extant literature to outline the background and the central critiques of gender mainstreaming approaches. This provides a backdrop for understanding the shift in focus from women’s economic empowerment to gender transformative approaches. Empirical data were collected from gender practitioners to explore the claims made in the literature about GTAs, applying a thematic analysis and providing a basis for further empirical work on GTAs to address gender inequality.
Details
- Title
- Gender Inequality: The Shift from Gender Mainstreaming to Gender Transformative Approaches
- Authors/Creators
- Raquel Eugenia Vieira Mendes
- Contributors
- A.Prof Martin Brueckner (Supervisor) - Murdoch University, Vice ChancelleryRochelle Spencer (Supervisor) - Murdoch University, Indo-Pacific Research Centre
- Awarding Institution
- Murdoch University; Masters by Research
- Identifiers
- 991005788075607891
- Murdoch Affiliation
- College of Law, Arts and Social Sciences
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Note
- Research Master with Training
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