CANADA NEPAL GENDER IN ORGANIZATIONS

Section 1: Background Information

Key Concepts

Participatory Community Development

Community development is the process of improving, on a sustained basis, the economic and social conditions for a group of people that form a community. Participatory community development involves the active participation of people from the community. The effective participation of both women and men is needed in order to develop the community’s capacity for sustainable, selfdevelopment.

Participation

The importance of community participation is now widely recognized. There are many types of participation, and levels at which participation can occur. Community members and beneficiaries might be consulted about project design; they might be involved in exploring and creating opportunities; they might participate in decisions about what can or will be done; they might be involved in analyzing and mobilizing resources or in implementing, managing or evaluating the project; they might contribute resources (e.g., volunteer time); or they might share in the benefits of the project.

Gender Integration in the Planning Cycle

Gender should be incorporated at each stage of the planning cycle, which includes the identification of problems and needs; the collection and processing of data; and the formulation of goals and project objectives. Gender should also be incorporated in project implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and feedback.

Gender Analysis Framework

Gender analysis provides information about patterns in the lives of women and men so that decisions can be based on reality. Gender analysis consists of four main steps. Together these steps are called the Gender Analysis Framework.

What patterns affect development in the area?
What activities do women and men carry out?
What resources do women and men have to work with?
What can we do to better involve both women and men in developmental activities? (Based on the information collected in steps 1, 2, 3.)