Empowering rural women through a community development approach in Nepal

This paper explores a community development strategy to empowerrural women through educational and small-scale household economicactivities. Qualitative and quantitative data analysis methodswere used to assess the impact of a community development projectlaunched in a remote hill district of Nepal. Focusing on twoproject components, the paper concludes that a functional literacyprogramme is a good start, which has revealed its dynamism withpractical extensions in a post-literacy period. On the otherhand, group savings and credit programmes provide the drivingforce to help illiterate rural women start small-scale economicactivities that are effective in absorbing the female workforcein these communities. Community development programmes shouldbe ready to meet changing needs of the target population tomake them truly self-reliant after the completion of the project.     

Ergonomics and education as a strategy for sustainable development in business

It is part of the vocabulary of organizations, and the agendas discussed the subject of "Sustainability", but there are few companies that implement practices or even know the means of implementing sustainable practices. The objective of this paper is to discuss an approach to education for sustainable development (ESD) based on the concepts and practice of ergonomics, as a consequence of this approach allows the implementation of integration initiatives focused on sustainability, such as eg. energy efficiency and consumer awareness thus allowing a means of reducing costs and operating expenses, increased competitiveness and significant contributions to corporate sustainability. There is also the inclusion of sustainability in corporate strategic planning, and their implications in the different spheres of the market.     

Repositioning culture for development: women and development in a Nigerian rural community

Most studies on women have ignored women's view of themselves in relation to their roles in community development. This study uses interview and ethnographic data from Nigeria to investigate women's narratives of themselves concerning their position in a rural cultural space in relation to community development. It explores ways of repositioning patriarchal or gender unresponsive cultures for eliciting women's potentials in community development. It emphasises how women's cultural constrains in a patriarchal community have led to a rare survival strategy – that is, the evolution of an invisible matriarchy. As a recommendation, it presents a framework for culture repositioning and a map of actors' responsibilities for its achievement. It contributes to ongoing debates on women in rural community development. It raises conceptual questions about customary practices that affect women's values in communities in Nigeria's rural areas. Finally, it presents three main lessons that can be drawn by women (and men) in traditional communities in non-Western societies.     

Policies and strategies for integrating women in agriculture and rural development

Continued economic stagnation, civil unrest, rural-urban migration, and a series of natural disasters have impeded efforts in the Sudan to integrate women into the development process. Although the Four-Year (1988-1989 to 1991-92) Salvation, Recovery, and Development Programs Plan does not explicitly addresses women's issues, its emphasis on food security, appropriate technology for the agricultural sector, small-scale industries and handicrafts, balanced regional development, and the needs of the poorest 20% of the population guarantees that women will be major recipients. There remains a need, however, to increase women's participation in the development planning process and to base projects on reliable data on women's economic activities. More successful in defining women's needs have been community development projects--Western Savannah Development Corporation, Blue Nile Integrated Rural Development Project, Nuba Mountain Project, and Jebel Marra Rural Development Project--that combine income generation, social welfare, and agricultural research. It is recommended that all such large integrated rural development or agricultural projects allot funds specifically for women's activities and ensure coordination with women's organizations to avoid duplication and identify areas of greatest need. Also urged is the development of appropriate technologies that will alleviate women's double burden of poverty and household chores and address the inequitable distribution of income. Establishment of a women's bureau for women's affairs and development within the National Planning Department would facilitate project formulation and evaluation. In need of change if women in development projects in the Sudan are to be successful are laws that limit female land ownership and practices that deny women loans and credit.     

An evaluation study of a health education programme for rural women in Bangladesh

In the 1980s, 21 Health and Family Welfare Centres (HFWC) in Munchiganz district in Bangladesh extended health and family planning services and health education to satellite clinics in private homes. A family welfare visitor (FWV) would visit each clinic 2 times/week to conduct health education sessions and treat patients. HFWC also promoted 70 mothers' clubs to promote small family size. Some mothers' clubs even provide basic health services. In March 1985, HFWC designed a study to evaluate the effectiveness of its health education component. Interviews and observations constituted the methodologies used. Interviewers and staff who were to observe health education lessons attended an introductory workshop in which they designed questionnaires. Next participant conducted 1-2 interviews while doing their regular work to pilot test the questionnaires. They then went to another workshop where they received feedback and discussed problems before the main evaluation. The study coordinator made spot check observations while interviewers spoke with women after a session on safe childbirth or diarrhea. The coordinator also held weekly meetings with the interviewers to identify problems and maintain a common base. HFWC managers used the study results to design and implement a simple monitoring system, manageable by supervisors, and others in the same or in a similar position. A very important lesson learned was that any monitoring system should not disrupt the routine of regular supervisory work or the already tight working schedules. The system should be uncomplicated so supervisors can easily monitor the health education component. Finally monitoring standards need to be founded on a common understanding and feedback between planners and health educators.     

Reversing the flow: agricultural development and changing migration patterns in rural Maharashtra

"In this paper we investigate the impact of rapid change from subsistence to irrigated farming [in Maharashtra, India,] and human dynamic responses to these changes from a longitudinal perspective (1975 to 1987). The study focuses on a single village, providing an in-depth and extensive analysis of both in and out-migration, characteristics of migrants, motivations for migration, experience at destination, and links with home areas, both social and economic.... The importance of migration, not only to the study village, but also to other rural areas from which in-migrants came, is also assessed." (SUMMARY IN FRE AND SPA)     

Empowering communities through evaluation: some lessons from rural Spain

The practice of evaluation has generated a culture that hasbecome part of the implementation and management of public policiesin Europe. Rural areas, with little tradition of evaluation,have been most challenged by its introduction. This paper analysesthe influence of evaluation activities in three local programsand partnerships created in the rural areas of Madrid underthe European LEADER initiative, whose aim is to encourage ruraldevelopment at the local level. The results show the capacityof evaluation to foster community empowerment. The expansionof evaluation culture at the local level can translate intoone of continuous improvement that supports empowerment andcommunity development.     

Balance with logic-measuring the performance and sustainable development efforts of an NPO in rural Ethiopia

The analysis of performance of Not-for-profit organisations (NPOs) is difficult because there are several objectives and perspectives to NPO performance and accountability, especially if considered sustainably and in long term. This suggests that performance analysis and measurement of NPOs might also involve multiple perspectives, such as in Balanced Scorecard (BSC) or in the Logical Framework (LF) models.This article is a case study of analysing the sustainable development and performance of an NPO in rural Ethiopia. We propose the Logic Balanced Scorecard (LBSC) model that combines elements of BSC and LF. This proposal was preliminarily used and tested in a five-year interventionist accounting case study among eight villages in rural Ethiopia. Advances in performance measurement may help improving the socioeconomic, agricultural and nutritional situation in the area. Further, an improved analysis of performance, sustainability and accountability of NPOs may make development projects easier to plan, follow and assess.     

Ranking policy options for sustainable development

Sustainable development calls for choices among alternative policy options. It is a common view that such choices can be justified by appealing to an evaluative ranking of the options with respect to how their consequences affect a broad range of prudential and moral values. Three philosophically motivated proposals for analysing evaluative rankings are discussed: the measured merits model (e.g. Chang), the ordered values model (e.g. Griffin), and the permissible preference orderings model (Rabinowicz). The analysis focuses on the models’ potential for making transparent how an evaluative ranking can contribute to a justified choice among options, particularly in situations that involve diverse values as typically found in debates on sustainable development. Such transparency plays a crucial role when policy rankings are going to be used as arguments in political decision processes. The measured merits model is found to have questionable consequences for the concept of sustainability, while the ordered values model calls for an axiological framework that cannot plausibly be spelled out for sustainability. The permissible preference orderings model is more promising. Its formal structure and its ability to deal with value-pluralism provide an interesting re-structuring of the problem of justifying choices in sustainability issues.     

Job access after leaving education: a comparative analysis of young women and men in rural Germany

Rural labour markets for youth are an interesting research area for labour force transition studies because gender differences begin to appear with the out-migration that leads to a shortage of young women in Europe. Whilst existing studies provide insight into this migration flow, little is known about the young women and men who remain in the labour force in rural areas. The aim of this study is to provide insight into the determinants of job access after leaving education in Germany among the young population aged 15–29 based on the Labour Force Survey of 2002–2009. First, an empirical analysis of student to employment flow in rural areas with respect to social position (degree discipline, age, and socio-professional category) has been conducted. Second, gender-specific multinomial logit models are used to estimate the determinants of access to a first job without a long-term unemployment spell. The results suggest that there are substantive differences in student to employment flow between female and male samples for the variables urbanisation degree of residence (rural, urban, and peri-urbain) and marital status. Contrary to our expectations, living in rural areas does not suggest a significant negative effect in accessing a job within a year. In line with previous studies, being married has a negative influence on female graduates but is positive for their male counterparts.     

Regional and local sustainable development

Twenty years after the Rio Conference of 1992 the issue of sustainability is still at the core of considerations in regard to the future of humankind. As a step forward in 1997 the Kyoto Protocol was agreed to, although the main actors have not been part of it. Since then all international congresses on the issue have failed. A new approach seems to be necessary, which steps aside of the international and national levels. The regional and local levels are definitely more appropriate, because direct participation of citizens and institutional actors is more feasible. Also for the regional and local levels labour is the main actor, as the production and distribution are the central areas for action for sustainability. That does not mean that consumption or finance have to be neglected. The trade unions in the past have often been reluctant to commit themselves for sustainability, as it seemed to endanger jobs. Slowly this attitude has been changed, and they fully engage now, e.g. with Attac and other similar movements.     

Endogenous preferences and sustainable development

This paper focuses on the relevance of endogenous preferences for the explanation of consumer behavior and its role for sustainable development. The demand side has received far less attention in the sustainability discussion than the production side. There seems, however, little doubt that consumption is equally as important for achieving sustainability (e.g., F. Duchin, G.-M. Lange, The Future of the Environment: Ecological Economics and Technological Change, Oxford University Press, New York, 1994). While the influence of social interaction of preferences has been pointed out by economists for centuries, this link is generally submerged in the standard economic assumption of individual interest maximizing behavior. With reference to a specific type of local food market (community supported agriculture groups, CSA), this paper investigates consumer behavior and its relevance for sustainable development. Several studies have investigated CSAs’ contributions to different aspects of sustainable development and barriers to their expansion. One aspect usually left out is the change in preferences after interaction with the farmer/s and other market participants for several years. This learning aspect may, however, prove crucial to identify paths towards sustainable development.     

Exploring the utility of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in ranking livelihood activities for effective and sustainable rural development interventions in developing countries

It is commonly known that most development projects, especially in the global south, tend to achieve unintended results or fail because of lack of due diligence. Project satisfaction and sustainability would only be achieved if consistent with the actual needs of the people intended to benefit. Based on field experiences in the Fantekwa District of Eastern Ghana, this study aims to explore the utility of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in prioritizing livelihood activities to aid in effective and sustainable poverty reduction interventions in developing countries. Data from twenty five development stakeholders in the district were used for the assessment. The study demonstrates that with appropriate data, and systematically following all required processes, the AHP approach can effectively show where intervention is most needed. Application of AHP in the current context, the study argues, has the potential to address the issue of wrong development targeting with associated counterproductive and nonstarter outcomes.     

The plight of rural women: alternatives for action

Women in rural areas perform many of the agricultural tasks as well as the household care tasks. In addition to food production, looking after children, and cultivating cash crops, women also process food, carry water, make cloth, and work 15-16 hours, often much longer than the men. Too often development programs disregard the needs of women altogether. Modernization has often had a negative effect on women. They have no access to modern tools or credit. Land reform, land settlement programs, and cooperatives have neglected to consider women's interests, roles, and position. Technogical progress has resulted in creating new inequalities between rural men and women. Development has increased the workload of women who are unpaid family helpers, and time-saving mechanised device have replaced women's jobs. In most developing countries women are active in home-based industrial production. The contractor who provides the material and collects the finished product is often a wealthy landowner who also get the profits. Technical cooperation projects should be geared more directly to food processing and traditional sectors where women predominate with the goal of reducing work loads. Organization or group action is necessary to achieve economies of scale; to eliminate middle men, money-lenders and traders profiting from women's work; and, to provide solidarity and support to women otherwise isolated in their homes and on their farms.     

Capacity building for rural development in the United States

Rural development in the United States places considerable weight upon the contribution of leadership in small communities to bring about local regeneration. This effort draws upon the theory and practice of capacity building processes. The application of this approach is examined through the experience of the Colorado Rural Revitalisation Project which was initiated in 1988 as a collaborative venture between two universities and a state agency. It concluded in 1992 having worked with 47 rural communities. The outcomes of the partnership programme related to learning and action are discussed and the results of an evaluation exercise are presented. A suite of local, institutional and national issues arising from the Project is identified. It is concluded that there is merit in greater interest being taken in initiatives like the Colorado Rural Revitalisation Project by policy makers, educationalists and rural communities in Europe.     

Why rural African-American women who use cocaine mistrust women

Little is known about the social networks of rural African-American women who use drugs, although the social networks of their urban counterparts have been characterized as small, mixed gendered, and distrustful of other women. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the characteristics of the social networks of rural African-American women, both users and non-users of drugs. Thirty rural women who used cocaine participated in in-depth qualitative interviews. Rural women who used drugs gave several reasons for their mistrust of other women and tended to have small social networks, which included family members and men to the exclusion of non-familial women. The findings of this study have implications for both research and practice.     

Developing common ground for a sustainable knowledge base for social work education in the Netherlands

ABSTRACT

This article is about a research project focused on the development of a common knowledge base for social work education in the Netherlands. Recent substantial changes in society and social policy were the reason for a reconsideration of the educational content of social work education. A great urgency was established with regard to the adaptation of the study programs, including a higher level of knowledge. The aim of the project was to provide a knowledge base that creates a bridge between theory and practice and between social work practice and the societal context. The project started with an exploration of literature focusing on the significance of knowledge for professional practice and on existing classifications of the knowledge base in social work education. Subsequently a design-based empirical study was carried out using the Delphi-method. Experts agreed about the definition of the knowledge base and about the design requirements: practice-based, science-based, usable and sustainable. After an exploration of the content, a model was developed consisting of seven building blocks (BBs). The common knowledge base has been established by the Dutch Council of Schools of Social Work and is being used as the basis for the body of knowledge in all curricula of social work education in the Netherlands.