Development Studies

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    Education, development scholarships and women's empowerment : exploring the impacts of the Vietnam Education Foundation Fellowship : a research report presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master's in International Development at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2017) Bui, Hanh Thanh
    The research project explores the impacts that international development scholarship programmes have had on women’s empowerment in Vietnam drawing on a case study of the Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF) Fellowship Programme and its female Fellows. Evaluations of such scholarship schemes are often limited to quantitative assessments of the number of graduates, degrees obtained or professional promotions after graduation. While education is understood as being a significant means for women’s empowerment, an understanding of how these education scholarship programmes have impacted on women’s empowerment is still under-studied, especially in the context of Vietnam. This research provides an in-depth qualitative exploration of the experiences of five female VEF Fellows who pursued Master’s or Ph.D. degree programmes in the STEM fields in the U.S. and have now returned to work in Vietnam. The research findings have shown that while the VEF Fellowship has had mostly positive impacts on women’s empowerment, it also resulted in some challenges for the women once back in Vietnam. In terms of the positive impacts, participants of the research reported they have now become self-confident and independent women. They have more self-respect and also gain respect from others. While previously, their decisions were influenced by others, now they make decisions in line with their own wishes. They are also able to access more career opportunities and enlarge their networks. In return, these VEF Fellows have exercised their expertise and positive attributes to support others within their family, their workplace, the community and the country at large. This transformation is a manifestation of the women’s empowerment. Nonetheless, taking on the study opportunity also created some negative outcomes influencing women’s empowerment to some extent. When coming back, these VEF Fellows have encountered “reverse culture shock”, the feeling of loss and disorientation, negative reactions from family and friends for their being allegedly “Westernized”, and personal dissatisfaction with the Vietnamese working style, services, and infrastructure. They also have to deal with gender discrimination including problematic stereotypes of females in the STEM fields. Taking on the scholarships also brought about unexpected influences on these women’s personal and love life. However, overall these Fellows did not regret the decision they had made to pursue higher education in the U.S. More importantly they took action to tackle any challenges and confirm their position in the workplace and in the society. All participants of the research felt that the positive changes outweighed the challenges. The research findings prove that women’s empowerment might be achieved through education scholarships as part of development aid schemes. Development scholarships are not only ii a means to enhance people’s expertise in specific professional fields but from a gender perspective they are effective tools to promote and sustain the position of women participants. More importantly, the awards granted to women have compelling impacts on transforming not only the women recipients themselves but also other women and the wider community. Research findings also indicate that besides access to a more advanced education, living in a more developed and less patriarchal country and interacting with people coming from diverse backgrounds and cultures, also contributes to the empowerment process of these women. At the same time, the research suggests that scholarship programmes should pay more attention to supporting women participants when they return to their home country.
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    The gender dimensions of environmental change : an exploration of the experiences and perceptions of rural men and women in Zimbabwe : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Shumba, Dorcas Stellah Tsitsi
    Processes of environmental change have taken place for centuries both as a result of natural variability and anthropogenic forces. As a concept however, environmental change continues to be used narrowly to refer to environmental changes which are biophysical in nature, and mostly those with global precedence. In recent times incidences of environmental change have become more complex as new patterns of change are threatening the livelihoods of those living in developing countries, undoing many development gains. As such, there is an increasing desire to understand the implications of environmental changes, particularly for those whose livelihoods are natural resource dependent, many of whom live in rural areas, and many of whom are poor. Despite this growing interest, rural people and especially the rural poor are little seen or heard; their environmental change experiences are thus misunderstood, and solutions proposed do not take into consideration the local context or experiences. There remains also a normative perspective which positions women as automatically vulnerable to environmental change, specifically vis-à-vis men. In doing so women’s experiences of environmental change are homogenised and men’s experiences are rendered invisible. Drawing on the case of Zimbabwe this study critically considers the experiences and perceptions of rural men and women to environmental change so as to ascertain gendered impacts and differential vulnerabilities. To capture fully the subjective lived experience of both men and women to environmental change, this study lends itself to qualitative research. Thus research methods such as semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and gender analysis are central to the methodology. In terms of findings, this study argues against looking at environmental change as a technocratic subject accessible only from a global frame and accessed only by a technocratic few, proposing that the people experiencing environmental change at a local level should determine the environmental changes of communal concern. This study also highlights the importance of understanding the vulnerabilities of rural men and women within a well-conceived notion of context, taking into account rural disadvantage resulting from colonialism, and the current Zimbabwean crisis.
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    Participation of women in development projects in the SADC region : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1996) Olifant, Sisimogang Pinkie M
    The key to the empowerment of women is their participation at all the stages and all levels of the development project cycle. This thesis examines participation of women in development projects in the Southern African Development Community region. Its main objective is to analyse evaluations of New Zealand's Voluntary Agency Support Scheme funded projects in Africa between 1988 and 1991. There was unequal gender participation in all the projects. Despite lack of empowerment of women in the projects, important development needs of women were met. This could be linked to the nature of traditional societies in this region. The recommendations focus on the need for equal participation of women and men in development projects at the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation stages as well as equal distribution of project benefits. Furthermore, attention is focused on World Bank and International Monetary Fund Structural Adjustment Programmes, the debt crisis, Southern and Northern NGO partnerships and the adoption of analytical framework to analyse projects.
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    Rebuilding communities : a case study of empowerment in post-conflict Rwanda : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2009) Parsons, Anna
    Empowerment became a popular concept in the 1990s, so popular that some believe the concept has lost its impact. This thesis uses the empowerment levels of; personal, relational and community, to investigate a psychosocial intervention in the post-conflict environment. The post-conflict environment is one that is disempowering for both men and women. Rwanda, one of the most complicated and devastated post-conflict situations seen since World War II, is the location of the World Vision intervention examined in this thesis. World Vision's Personal Development Workshop aims to provide a safe environment where people can process their experiences of the genocide. They use lectures, individual exercises and small group discussions to cover the topics of understanding the grief process, dealing with emotions and the concept of forgiveness. The thesis concludes that both male and female participants of the Personal Development Workshops have been empowered at all three levels. It shows the benefit of using the empowerment approach in the community context and suggests that consideration of psychosocial interventions is crucial in post-conflict settings. The need for such interventions to be continued for many years after the conflict has ended is also identified.
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    Equitable development? : good governance, women and micro-enterprise initiatives in the Cook Islands : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2000) Lawrence, Christine
    In light of the importance that development agencies have placed on good governance policies, micro-enterprise initiatives, and the role of women in development in recent years, this thesis addresses the question: Have the incentives for Cook Islands women to begin micro-enterprises under good governance reforms led to equitable development? It begins by examining the ways in which good governance policies could both stimulate and detract from equitable development for female micro-entrepreneurs both in theory and practice. An evaluation of the impact that the Cook Islands' Economic Reform Programme has had on equitable development for former public service employees who began a micro-enterprise follows. In accordance with Longwe's (1994) Women's Empowerment Framework, equitable development is measured in terms of material welfare, access to the factors of production, society's willingness to alter the gendered division of labour, participation in decision-making processes, and control over both the factors of production and the benefits of development. This thesis argues that an expansion of the micro-enterprise sector of an economy will not automatically follow the implementation of good governance policies. While the land tenure system could favour smaller businesses in the Cook Islands, Western-style business practices have sometimes conflicted with cultural norms, and micro-entrepreneurs have been disadvantaged in international and local markets by their limited resource bases and poor economies of scale. In addition, by reducing the amount of cash available to consumers and stimulating significant migratory outflows, the economic reforms have further fuelled regional inequalities by making it more difficult for entrepreneurs residing on the outer islands than those based on Rarotonga to begin businesses. This thesis also concludes that the operation of micro-enterprise initiatives has had a mixed impact on equitable development for Cook Islands women. More men than women have benefited from Government business incentives and Cook Islands women have typically been restricted to industries that yield low returns because of their skill mixes. In addition, while many have enjoyed increased flexibility in their time use, fewer Government services coupled with the effort required to manage their businesses have increased some women's workloads, causing poor health, reducing the time that they have spent with their families and precluding some from participating in decision-making processes. On a positive note, the growth in tourism has supported the micro-enterprise ventures of Cook Islands women. In addition, successful female micro-entrepreneurs have been empowered by improvements in their self-confidence, personal income, and access to credit, together with more equitable divisions of labour and greater control over family businesses and household incomes.
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    Catholic women's programme in Malaita, Solomon Islands : breaking the culture of silence through empowerment : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1996) Macbride-Stewart, Sheila
    This thesis describes the initiation, development and progress of a programme to empower Melanesian village women. The women are disadvantaged in many ways, among them being minimal literacy skills and living in a patriarchal society. This thesis found that revealing to the women their great value and skills and so increasing their self-worth and confidence was a crucial initial step of the programme. A participatory approach to the women's empowerment targeted personal inner development of the women rather than being pre-occupied with income generating projects as so many women's programmes are. The programme expanded from teaching about leadership, women's roles and integral human development, to include a health programme and a young women's programme. The programme is assessed in terms of the achievements of its goal of empowering women. It was found to address strategic gender needs that the women themselves had identified during the programme. Women are now more able to challenge men and tradition in order to work towards a more equitable society.
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    How have women been empowered by gender-focussed development projects in post-Taliban Afghanistan? : reviewing the literature which incorporates the critical consideration of two gender focussed development projects : a research report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development in Development Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (The Author, 2014) McMillan, Robert Melville
    This research report examines the empowerment approach within the Gender and Development (GAD) discussion, providing an emphasis on women’s empowerment as an instrument of post-conflict reconstruction in post-Taliban Afghanistan. Utilising a comprehensive literature review, the report establishes the framework of Naila Kabeer as a consistent base for the comparing and contrasting of two gender-focussed development programmes in Afghanistan. The contextual background of empowerment programmes pursued over the past decade in Afghanistan are presented with an examination of the challenges and opportunities encountered pursuing women’s political, economic, social and psychological empowerment. A specific consideration of the New Zealand-led Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan, and the Community Development Council initiative within the Afghanistan National Solidarity Programme is undertaken. The report concludes that while there have been enormous symbolic advances for women’s political empowerment in the national sphere, the more private and local the sphere examined: the less decision-making agency Afghani women are empowered to exercise. While seeking to provide opportunities for women’s economic empowerment the programmes have made little practical change to women’s income or financial agency. The two gender-focussed programmes examined have made significant compromises to the extremities of the local context, and are considered ‘gender accommodating’ rather than ‘gender transformative’. The large body of literature concerning Afghanistan substantiates that the road to gender equity will stretch across the generations and is necessarily gradual to remain sustainable. As Afghanistan enters further political turmoil, the empowerment attained by Afghani women in the past decade must be expressly guarded.
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    International approaches to literacy for gender empowerment : a review of the literature and analysis in relation to Timor-Leste : a research project presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development, Development Studies, Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (The Author, 2012) Martins, Sandra Gusmao
    After 400 years of colonial rule and illegal occupation Timor-Leste gained independence (World Bank, 2004). However, in the wake of this, as they sought to rebuild the country, the newly founded government was faced with numerous development challenges, such as wide spread illiteracy and a non-existent education system. Given this non-existent education system and the extent of illiteracy noted more in the rural areas and in relation to women, part of the solution to addressing the issue was to implement informal literacy programmes. It was argued that increasing women?s literacy was an important strategy for increasing women?s social, political and economic participation and achieving empowerment (Olufunke, 2011). However there are also debates contesting that participation in literacy programmes automatically leads to the empowerment of women, rather the programmes on offered need to be understood in the context of the place where they are being delivered (Stromquist, 2002). With this in mind this research project seeks to critically explore firstly, international approaches to adult literacy with a specific focus on gender and empowerment, and secondly, the relevance of these international approaches to adult literacy as an empowering tool in relation to women in Timor-Leste. This desk-based exploration unpacks four international approaches to adult literacy, which come under the umbrella of critical literacy approaches, these are: „New Literacy Studies? (NLS), „Real Literacies Approach? (RLA), the „REFLECT? Method, and the „Community Literacy Approach? (CLA). These four approaches are critically discussed in relation to women?s empowerment focusing specifically on debates by Rowlands (1995, 1997) and Kabeer (1999), who draw on Freire?s (1970) concept of empowerment, conscientization. Having interrogated these four approaches I then reflected upon them in terms of the Timor-Leste situation, focusing specifically on issues of effectiveness and appropriateness. I conclude that rural women can experience empowerment through participation in adult literacy programmes. In considering the REFLECT Method, the common empowerment dimensions experienced are the personal sphere or dimension (Rowlands, 1995, 1997), the achievement dimension (Kabeer, 1999), with evidence of „conscientization? or critical consciousness (Freire, 1970). The REFLECT Method is thus considered to be the most appropriate and effective approach to adult literacy and gender in Timor-Leste. However, this approach can also be combined with other approaches (in particular the RLA), which is implemented nationwide in Timor-Leste. However it is important to note that literacy itself does not guarantee empowerment, there is a need to think beyond literacy and how (within) this process women can access their fundamental rights, as well as possibilities of power (Archer, 2002).
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    Sport as a vehicle for development in Vanuatu : a review of the literature and analysis of the Women's Island Cricket Project : a research project presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of International Development, Development Studies, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (The Author, 2014) Farrell, Julie Ann
    Approaches to development delivery have changed significantly post World War II. Current development delivery practices are often referred to as the 4th paradigm of aid delivery. A focus on the concept of empowerment through the delivery of aid has become very popular, especially in relation to women’s development (Cornwall & Brock, 2005, Batliwala, 2007). The 3rd Millennium Development Goal with an aim to empower women is a good example of the increased international focus on and support for, the development of women around the world. This popularity has also surfaced within the new and emerging Sport-for-Development paradigm. The marrying of Sport for Development and empowerment seem to be synonymous in a number of aid projects. However due to the fact that empowerment is a multi-faceted and contested term, there are issues concerning implementation and effectiveness of Sports for Development projects. Monitoring and evaluating Sport for Development projects continues to be an issue many writers lament about. As many have empowerment as an end goal, this is something that causes disquiet in the development field. With the above-mentioned in mind, this research project aimed to investigate, via a desk-based study and field observations, in what ways the Women’s Island Cricket Project in Vanuatu has contributed to women’s empowerment and identify what some of the consequences of this empowerment of participants were at the personal, family and community level. Using Kabeer’s (1999, 2005) notion that empowerment is about the ability to make choices to improve one’s life, and transform one’s life, I consider whether the women involved in the cricket project had acquired agency – the ability to transform – and whether the women have changed the way they feel about themselves and have been able to improve their own self-efficacy. My research identified that Island cricket has considerable ‘buy-in’ by the participants of the Women’s Island Cricket Project and their families. I conclude that this project has been successful, resulting in empowerment-type behavioural change for participants. Whilst paternalistic attitudes towards women exist in Vanuatu, on Ifira Island, the project has challenged and transformed some of these historical attitudes. Development Alternatives for Women of a New Era’s idea that women’s solidarity adds to empowerment (Sen & Grown, 1988) was observed by me when attending the Women’s Island Cricket Committee meeting. Whilst Vanuatu women who play cricket are the focus of this aid project, the reality is that despite sport for women not being equal with empowerment opportunities available to male sports people, well-planned and well-organised Sport for Development projects that involve local women in the planning, implementation and evaluation, are meritorious and provide considerable scope to transform participant’s lives.
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    Pisinisi laititi : Samoan women and the informal sector : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1999) Dunlop, Emma Repeka
    The informal sector has become an important concept in development theory and practice since its introduction in the early 1970s. The informal sector is the term given to the small economic activities, which involve labour-intensive methods of production and labour. These activities are considered 'informal' because they generally operate outside the legal environment, and therefore largely escape recognition, enumeration, regulation and protection by the Government. Research on the informal sector in the Pacific proposes that informal sector activities are the major means of livelihood security for a significant number of Pacific families today. Further it is unlikely that Pacific Countries will be able to create sufficient paid employment opportunities to meet the growing demands for waged jobs. To date there has been very little research on Samoa's informal sector activities or the role of the informal sector within the macro-economy. This general lack of recognition of informal sector activities reflects that these activities are traditionally seen as 'women's work' - a way in which women earn 'pin money' to supplement the family budget. Recognition of women's work is a key strategy in women's empowerment - an approach that has become very closely aligned with poverty alleviation strategies in the world. This is a study of Samoan women and the informal sector. This research has two aims: the first is to review the nature and extent of Samoan women's informal sector activities today, and to review the adequacy and effectiveness of the measures in place to support women's activities. Based on these findings, the second aim of this research is to examine the extent to which macro-level recognition and research of the role of the informal sector in the Samoan economy, should be encouraged. Samoan women are the sample group, because women are a very visible part of the informal sector scene today. The results of the fieldwork show the importance of the informal sector to individual empowerment, household social and economic security, community development and the national economy. Samoan women are predominantly involved in agricultural and agricultural-related activities, thus reinforcing the semi-subsistence economy. Samoan women are also involved in 'multiple economic activities' - a strategy which is used to spread risk over a number of options. The study also found that the money that Samoan women earn in their informal sector activities is vital to the livelihood security of their families. This research concludes with a discussion of the ways in which the informal sector in Samoa can be encouraged and developed.