Policy statement on population and the environment.

Abstract

Development policies of the past have not been able to solve the problem of poverty. Linkages between macroeconomic patterns gender and poverty must be recognized in any new development plans. Growth is essential to economic development however the way growth is measured and the patterns of growth must be carefully examined. If this change of perspective does not occur then millions of people are left behind and shut out from the benefits of development. Policy makers need to take into account the gender division of labor and the fundamentally different lives of women and men in poor households. Attention to these differences is the key to reducing intergenerational poverty. The trickle down theories of development from the 50s have proved inadequate because not enough trickles down to keep millions out of poverty. Welfare programs of the 60s were a response to this. They attempted to tackle the problem of poverty directly rather than waiting for development to reach everyone. These systems were based on the assumption that women were helpless victims in need of handouts from the top in order to benefit from development. The integration of women in the development process was a response to the welfare systems which was found to be unsatisfactory. This approach allowed women to take an active part in development but it had a very high cost. Women had to work more hours for low pay and the result was only a marginal improvement. Gender sensitive planning and implementation was an attempt to correct the major flaws of integrating women into development because it took into account the division of labor based on sex. It attempted to account for the different perspective of women in the areas of agriculture industry education health and homelife. The empowerment approach is a method of building a womans own capacity of self reliance. Since millions of households are headed solely by women empowerment is the only way to give women what they need to benefit from development.