School of People Environment and Planning

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    Beyond women's empowerment : exploring the role of men in family planning among the Mangkong ethnic group in Lao PDR : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development, Massey University, Palmerston North, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Lorkuangming, Vanly
    Since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, men’s involvement in family planning (FP) has been actively promoted as the pinnacle to women’s empowerment, and consequently, gender equality. Previous studies have found that when men are involved in FP, they can become more supportive when decisions about reproductive issues need to be made, which has positive implications elsewhere. Laos as an ethnically diverse country, means making FP universally accessible for its people has been challenging. It is especially problematic for ethnic minorities in rural areas where women are more vulnerable and marginalised, resulting in a high level of unmet need for FP among ethnic women. With ethnic minorities even less participation is evident, coupled with the fact there is a paucity of research on topic. This thesis therefore aims to explore the involvement of Mangkong men in FP. The fieldwork was conducted in seven villages in Nong District, Savannakhet province, Lao PDR. The research is qualitative in design and data was collected via semi-structured interviews with 13 couples, two women and five key informants. Other methods included informal observation, used as part of building rapport and learning about gender roles and lifestyle among the Mangkong, as well as document analysis. This study found that men’s involvement as FP service providers raised awareness of FP among men and women, while men’s involvement as targets of FP programmes improved and increased participation in counselling, integrated outreach, for example. However, this suggests that men’s involvement in FP alone cannot increase women’s empowerment unless broader strategic and practical gender needs are also addressed. Theoretically, the study calls for culturally specific models of empowerment, as the empowerment framework adopted in this study, which was based on Western feminist theories, cannot fully explain Mangkong women’s understandings of empowerment. Findings also suggest that if true empowerment in FP is to be achieved, it is necessary to focus on both men and women as individuals, couples and clients who have the rights to access FP information and services, thus meeting their individual needs. Both men and women are necessary agents of change for gender equality.
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    Entrepreneurial assistance across the ocean : an examination of the effectiveness of international mentoring as a support service for entrepreneurs in Samoa : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2013) Purcell, Gisela
    Indigenous entrepreneurs play an important role in the economic growth of developing countries but to be sustainable they must balance their business needs with the cultural norms of the local context. Donor countries are increasingly supporting the private sector through business mentoring, however the challenges facing indigenous entrepreneurs are quite different to those experienced by their mentors. This research investigates the value of donor-funded, cross-cultural mentoring through an examination of the Pacific Business Mentoring Programme, a New Zealand initiative in Samoa. Based on an extensive literature review, this thesis develops a framework to assess the value of a mentoring programme. Semi-structured interviews with 23 entrepreneurs in Samoa reveal their positive and negative experiences with the programme. An online survey of the New Zealand mentors who had worked in Samoa provides further data regarding the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the programme. This information is evaluated against the mentoring framework to assess what worked well and what areas could be improved. Research findings show that mentoring can provide both business and socio-cultural development outcomes, however economic improvements can be very difficult to attribute directly to a mentoring programme. Several cited benefits of the mentoring programme, such as providing a neutral sounding board and challenging the entrepreneur’s assumptions, are difficult to quantify. The majority of entrepreneurs believe that their mentor did not have a good understanding of the local cultural context. Where a mentor’s advice conflicted with their cultural practices, the entrepreneur would usually ignore or adapt the advice to reach a compromise. Some cultural practices appear to be detrimental to running a business, however many of these practices add to the resilience of local people as well as having a social function, and should therefore not be undermined. This thesis concludes that donor-funded business mentoring is a versatile, effective tool for development assistance if mentors are sensitive to the unique challenges of the local context and do not underestimate the abilities of the local entrepreneurs. With careful selection, training and support, mentoring can support indigenous entrepreneurs to improve their business skills while retaining their cultural identity.