NGO Another Way (Stichting Bakens
Verzet), 1018 AM Amsterdam, Netherlands.
SELF-FINANCING, ECOLOGICAL, SUSTAINABLE,
LOCAL INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS FOR THE WORLD’S POOR
Edition
10: 17 May, 2009
(CLIQUEZ
ICI POUR LA VERSION EN FRANÇAIS)
08.20 Respect for
women’s rights.
The project text does not boast the numerous
advantages it brings to women in the project area.
Populist gender-based and feminist slogans are
not used.
This project recognises the terms of both the Draft
charter for the rights of african women, Addis Abeba 28th March 2003 and of
the African
Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, 1990 , Human Rights
charters and charters on the rights of women and children in general.
See also how how
“Women often end up being the shock absorbers of food security” in Quisumbing A. et al, Helping
Women Respond to the Global Food Price Crisis, International Food Policy Research Institute
(IFPRI), Policy Brief 7, Washington,
October 2008.
For information on the relationship between
women’s rights and the Millennium Development Goals see Corner L., Making the MDGs Work for All – Gender
Responsive Rights-Based Approaches to the MDGs, United Nations Development
Fund for Women (UNIFEM),
On page 7 of her report Ms Corner cites the
High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations as follows:
“Four basic principles must be met in a rights-based
approach. [Source : Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Draft
Guidelines: A Human Rights Approach to Poverty Reduction Strategies. http://www.unhchr.ch/development/povertyfinal.html
[accessed April 2008]. ”
Ms Corner continues:
“Each explicitly includes gender equality between
women and men and a gender perspective that recognizes that women have
different roles from men and therefore different needs, priorities and specific
rights. The four principles are:
participation in the process
of decision-making by all those who are potentially affected, particularly
women and poor people;
accountability that enables
rights-holders—females and males—to claim their rights and ensures that the
State fulfils its obligations as duty bearer;
empowerment that gives women
and men the power, capacities, capabilities and access to resources to enable
them to change their own lives;
non-discrimination and specific
attention to vulnerable groups. Discrimination is defined as ‘any distinction,
exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or
purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by
women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and
women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic,
social, cultural, civil or any other field. [Source :United Nations. 1979. The
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.(1979),
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/cedaw.htm
[accessed April 2008]. ”
In her preface to Ms Corner’s work, Dr Jean
D’Cunha writes (p. vii) “The MDGs appear as stand-alone goals, blurring
multi-sector links between all goals, targets and indicators, including the
cross-cutting gender link”
Projects under the Model for self-financing,
ecological, sustainable local integrated projects provide solutions to these inter-action issues.
08.20.01 Majority
participation of women in the project structures.
The 200 health clubs formed provide
organisational platforms form women. These are the very first structures
created during project execution. As a result of this local organisation in
groups women are put in a position to participate en masse at the meetings
where the tank commissions, the first level of social representation, are chosen. All adults from the 40-50
families to be served by each (future) water tank installation participate in
these meetings. The tank commissions will usually be formed by 3 to 7 members.
As a result of organised voting by women, most, if not all, of the tank commission
members are expected to be women.
Each tank commission nominates a member to the
well commission to which the tank commission refers. The tank commission
nominee can be either a tank commission member or another person from the tank
commission area. Since most of the tank commission members will usually be
women, they can be expected to nominate a female representative to the well
commission. A majority of the 5-9 members of the well commission can therefore
also be expected to be women.
Each well commission nominates a member to the
central committee of the project. The well commission nominee can be either a
well commission member or another person from the well commission area. Since
most of the well commission members will usually be women, they can be expected
to nominate a female representative to the central project committee. A
majority of the 35-45 members of the project-level central committee (the
project “parliament”) can therefore also be expected to be women.
The project central committee chooses the
members of the project management ( the project “government”). Since a majority
of the members of the central committee should be women, women are expected to
be well represented at project management level too.
Obviously men are never excluded from
participation in the management of the project structures. However the system
described should guarantee a majority participation of women in management at
all project levels. This is important, as women are in general the most
directly interested in and affected by most of the project structures. They
stand to profit most from the success of the project.
Management jobs at all levels are fully paid
within the framework of the local money system. This may make participation by
men less attractive to them as the use they make of their local money income is
subject to more stringent social control than might be the case with formal
money payments.
08.20.02 Reduction of the
work load on women.
The services placed at the disposal of women under
the project contribute to a substantial reduction of the work load on them.
They no longer need to fetch water. They no longer need to collect wood for
cooking purposes. Washing can be done at well-commission level at a distance not usually exceeding 0,75km.
Should they so prefer, women can also choose to have a washing place installed
next to their own local water tank installations.
Improvement in the living conditions of women will
go together with an increase in the health of their children. Children will
wnjoy a varied diet. They will be able to go to school . Their general health
should improve. Women are expected to have more time available to dedicate to
paid productive activities.
08.20.03 Increase in women’s
income.
Women, including the poorest, will benefit from the
local money system installed and from the interest-free micro-credit system set
up. They should have a majority participation in decision-making as described
in section 08.20.01 above.
The local money system is based on the perceived
value of an hour’s work. Activities take place in a local and competitive
environment. The harder, the more difficult or the less pleasant the work, the
higher its value on the local market. Women who under the traditional economic
environment are less paid to do the heaviest work should be better paid under
the local money systems than under the formal money one.
The interest-free
micro-credit structure should enable women to make formal money investments
for the purchase of capital goods to
increase their productivity. The
management of the Cooperative Local Development Fund should be controlled by
women. Women should therefore be able to ensure that their priorities are
respected in the management of the available funds.
Cooperative buying groups are also expected to be
set up at tank commission, well commission and project level.
08.20.04 Women’s health.
Women will benefit from improved conditions of
health :
First, through the supply of clean drinking
water, drainage of stagnant surface waters especially in village centres and
around water tanks and wells.
Secondly, through the supply of complete
domestic sanitation systems,
Thirdly, through hygiene education courses
part of the activities of the Health Clubs of which they will be members.
Fourthly, through the elimination of smoke in
and around their homes.
Fifthly as a result of a more varied diet.
Sixthly, (with the passage of some time) through
the availability of a complete range of medical services, including the
services of a nurse at tank commission level, of a doctor and bicycle ambulance
at well-commission level, and of a hospital at project level. Medical
dispensaries will be available at well-commission level.
08.20.05 Women’s education.
Women will benefit from improved education
facilities as follows:
First, through hygiene education courses part
of the activities of the Health Clubs they are members of.
Secondly, through the study rooms put at their
disposal at tank commission level.
Thirdly, through evening classes held in the
currently available school facilities.
Fourthly, and subject always to the
availability of teachers, through the construction of primary schools at tank
commission level, and intermediate schools at well commission level.
NEW HORIZONS FOR DEVELOPMENT: SOME SHORT
POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS
MORE ON SOME BASIC ISSUES COVERED BY THE MODEL:
Suite : 09.10 List of attachments.
Arrière
: 08.10 List of files specific to water supply, sanitaton and hygiene
education.
Poursuivre:
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