Women S Contributions To Development In West Africa

This book examines women’s participation in social, economic and political development in West Africa. The book looks at women from the premise of being active agents in the development processes within their communities, thereby subverting the dominate narrative of women as passive recipients of development.

"This edited volume zooms-in on the human-centric aspects of sustainable development, illuminating the various barriers that women in West African countries face in social, economic, and political spheres. The book capitalizes upon rich empirical material and rigorous qualitative social science approaches to document such barriers as well as describe how women rely on both formal and informal institutions to achieve better voice and representation. The many lessons drawn from this work offer practical insights and ideas for future research that are applicable to a variety of developing democracy contexts beyond the African continent." -Alisa Moldavanova, University of Delaware, USA "Considering the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development's principle of 'leave no one behind' which seeks to target the most vulnerable populations, this collection about the contributions by women to social, economic and political development in West Africa is on point. The qualitative approaches showcase stories that underline the voices of often the poorest of the poor. The authors recognize the challenges with entrenched discrimination and inequalities for women while also empirically demonstrating their relational agency and entrepreneurial spirit." -Susan Appe, University at Albany, USA This book examines women's participation in social, economic and political development in West Africa. The book looks at women from the premise of being active agents in the development processes within their communities, thereby subverting the dominate narrative of women as passive recipients of development. Kelly Ann. Krawczyk is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Director of the Ph.D. Program in Public Administration & Public Policy at Auburn University. Bridgett A. King is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Director of the Master of Public Administration Program at Auburn University. .

The report proposes the development of innovative public policies based on the reinforcement of the social capital of women and policy approaches that promote better integration of the initiatives undertaken by governments, international and non-governmental organisations to empower women and strengthen their resilience.

This book uses an open, explorative approach to deal with the different aspects of gender discrimination and gender empowerment policies, as well as their impact on economic development and capacity-building in several African countries. It uses primary and secondary data to present the argument that, without the full input of women, sustainable development will not be achieved in many African countries. This book is the first text written by knowledgeable gender issue experts that understand the culture of, and lived and conducted research in, Africa. It provides many examples of the relationships between gender and economic development around the African continent, highlighting different processes and practices. As such, the contributors here illustrate the impact of weak gender policies, and the ability to adequately develop female capacity building that could lead to wide-spread sustainable economic growth in Africa. They also explore a wide range of new dimensions and variables that are commonly ignored by other text books on gender equality. The book will help graduate, undergraduate students and other readers to understand women’s policies in the past, present, and future by analysing and illustrating cultural, political and socio-historical contexts which have shaped women’s role in the economic and sustainable development of Africa.

This timely and expansive multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary collection dissects precolonial, colonial, and post-independence issues of male dominance, power, and control over the female body in the legal, socio-cultural, and political contexts in Africa. Contributors focus on the historical, theoretical, and empirical narratives of intersecting perspectives of gender and patriarchy in at least ten countries across the major sub-regions of the African continent. In these well-researched chapters, authors provide a deeper understanding of patriarchy and gender inequality in identifying misogyny, resisting male supremacy, reforming discriminatory laws, embracing human-centered public policies, expanding academic scholarship on the continent, and more.

This volume describes and assesses the development of the African Training and Research Centre for Women (ATRCW). Statistical information on health, education and employment are combined with interview material to create an understanding of the realities they face.

This annual series, published in co-operation with the Women in International Development Program at Michigan State University, uses a multidisciplinary approach to explore women's experiences across a wide range of geographical areas, economic sectors, and societal institutions. The articles presented in each volume synthesize a growing body of literature on key issues, suggest priorities for research, and propose changes in development policy and programming. Each volume is divided into three major sections. In the first, contributors distill and interpret research in review articles; in the second - a trend report - they provide original analysis of existing data sets; and in the final section, they analyze a specific research concern from varying perspectives.

Theoretical Perspectives on Gender and Development demytsifies the theory of gender and development and shows how it plays an important role in everyday life. It explores the evolution of gender and development theory, introduces competing theoretical frameworks, and examines new and emerging debates. The focus is on the implications of theory for policy and practice, and the need to theorize gender and development to create a more egalitarian society. This book is intended for classroom and workshop use in the fields ofdevelopment studies, development theory, gender and development, and women's studies. Its clear and straightforward prose will be appreciated by undergraduate and seasoned professional, alike. Classroom exercises, study questions, activities, and case studies are included. It is designed for use in both formal and nonformal educational settings.