ROLE OF WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT - 1375 Words

ROLE OF WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT (Essay Sample) Content: Role of women in development Studentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Name Institution Affiliation The role of women in development Societyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s health solely relies on the womenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s role in development. Many of the decisions which determine householdsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ participation in community are made by women according to some sociologists. The rights of women are still developing in some communities (BacÃÅ'Å’lija, 2013). Womenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s role in community development can be the key in reducing gender inequality, ending discrimination against women that has persisted for centuries and provision of women and family needs. The aim of this short paper is to highlight the important role women play in development of communities in general. Lack of women participation in developing countries is attributed to socio culture aspect. A woman is positioned as a subordinate of man in many African and Latin American countries. Thus, stereotyping the roles of women, brought about by specifying duties within women and men. This creates a barrier for women to do greats things beyond domestic chores (Neumayer Soysa, 2011). In most developed countries women entrepreneurship has played a very significant role in economic growth. Developing countries too, are increasingly realizing the benefits of promoting women in economic activities. Women empowerment by introducing them into development and improving their economic status is also noticeable (Neumayer Soysa, 2011). This has seen rise in employment opportunities in different socio-economic sectors for women. Major household decisions are made by women, although gone are the days when women stayed in homes taking care of their children. Decisions such as what activities and schools children will attend, where the family will shop and the extent of community participation by the family, are made by women. These day-to-day practices make women a powerful decision-making force, putting them in a better position to improve the society for everyone. From the wealth of knowledge acquired through daily decision making in households, women can make great and important decisions about their town, city and even country (Pasque Nicholson, 2011). The way women prioritize; process information and plan may be highly beneficial to community development according to Community Development Society. Community development is considered as a holistic process by women, whose ultimate goal is betterment of the society for everyone. Recent studies suggest that women are likely to work better as teammates and collaborators, thus making them perfect candidates for community organizations that require major decisions to be made together. More cooperative organizations, which seek to better citizenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s lives, can be realized by encouraging the role of women in community development (Polachek et all, 2011). Role of women in community development is even more important in parts of the world that still experience gender inequality. Women stand a better chance of promoting fair society and reducing inequality when involved in issues of domestic violence and rape prevention, womenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s education and economic opportunities for women. It takes strong, persistent and vocal female participation to push for the issues to be addressed I communities that have traditionally marginalized womanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s role in community development (Banja Olivia, 2011). It may be very dangerous, in some regions where male chauvinism is predominant, for women to participate actively in community development. Role of women in development is made more critical by existence of gender inequality, as the world becomes a global community. Lives of other womenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s and gender sensitivity can be improved by ...