Combining sanitation and women's participation in water supply: an example from Rajasthan

Water supply and sanitation provision are key elements in progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Women's participation is considered integral to the sustainability of the projects created to meet these two MDGs. Bringing feminist and geographic critiques to bear on gendered approaches to improving sanitation coverage, the research reported on in this article indicates that latrine building and women's participation may be contradictory goals for sanitation projects, despite the fact that women are the target group for latrine-building interventions. The findings of the analysis suggest that attention must be given to latrine building as both a technical undertaking and a gendered political intervention.     

Facilitating the entry of communities in the herbal medicine sector: GMCL in India

The medicinal plant sector is on the increase in many developing countries. Despite this, the existing supply chain is unable to improve the livelihoods of the gatherers. This article considers Gram Mooligai Company Limited (GMCL), the first community-based enterprise active in the herbal sector. GMCL promotes a more equitable sharing of benefits in the sector, while also aiming for a more sustainable use of natural resources. The article draws conclusions and lessons about supporting such types of enterprises, reforming the herbal-sector supply chain, and promoting new forms of partnership between ayurvedic firms and communities.     

Pro-poor values in agricultural research management: PETRRA experiences in practice

PETRRA was an agricultural research-management project which used a values-based approach in project design, planning, and implementation. Through an experiential learning process, agricultural research and development (R&D) institutes, NGOs, private agencies, and community-based organisations rediscovered and improved the understanding of their strengths in meeting development commitments. The project successfully showed how values-based research can meaningfully be implemented and a sustainable pro-poor impact achieved.     

Physically disabled women's creditworthiness in Village Development Fund: evidence from Thailand

The Village Development Fund (VDF) is used in Thailand to empower the rural poor, especially women living with disabilities. This article investigates the problems of gaining access to credit faced by physically disabled women in rural Thailand. In-depth interviews with 20 women with physical disabilities in north-eastern Thailand indicate that these women still do not benefit from small loans from the VDF because they face significant attitude barriers from the VDF chairpersons and from their own families. The author argues that non-disabled communities and their own families believe that disabilities make these women less creditworthy.

Capacité d'emprunt des femmes physiquement handicapées dans le cadre d'un Fonds de développement villageois : données de Thaïlande

Le Fonds de développement villageois (FDV) est utilisé en Thaïlande pour autonomiser les pauvres en milieu rural, en particulier les femmes handicapées. Cet article traite des problèmes rencontrés au moment d'obtenir l'accès au crédit par les femmes physiquement handicapées en milieu rural en Thaïlande. Des entretiens approfondis menés avec 20 femmes physiquement handicapées dans le nord-est de la Thaïlande indiquent que ces femmes ne profitent pas encore de petits prêts du FDV parce qu'elles se heurtent à d'importantes barrières attitudinales de la part des président(e)s du FDV et de leur propre famille. L'auteur soutient que les communautés non handicapées et leurs propres familles respectives estiment que ces femmes sont moins solvables du fait de leurs handicaps.

Capacidade financeira das mulheres deficientes físicas de obter crédito no Village Development Fund: evidências da Tailândia

O Village Development Fund (VDF) é utilizado na Tailândia para empoderar as pessoas pobres da zona rural, especialmente mulheres portadoras de deficiência. Este artigo investiga os problemas para se obter acesso a crédito enfrentados pelas mulheres deficientes físicas na zona rural da Tailândia. Entrevistas minuciosas com 20 mulheres com deficiência física no nordeste da Tailândia indicam que estas mulheres ainda não se beneficiam com os pequenos empréstimos do VDF porque elas enfrentam grandes barreiras de atitude dos coordenadores do VDF e de seus próprias famílias. O autor argumenta que comunidades não-deficientes e suas próprias famílias acreditam que a deficiência torna estas mulheres menos capazes de pagar seus empréstimos.

La solvencia crediticia de mujeres discapacitadas del Fondo de Desarrollo Comunitario (Village Development Fund): el ejemplo de Tailandia

El Fondo de Desarrollo Comunitario (FDC) promueve en Tailandia el empoderamiento de campesinos pobres, en especial de mujeres discapacitadas. Este ensayo examina los problemas que tienen las mujeres discapacitadas para obtener créditos en el área rural de Tailandia. Entrevistas a fondo a 20 mujeres con discapacidades físicas en el noreste de Tailandia mostraron que las mujeres siguen sin beneficiarse de los pequeños préstamos del FDC por las actitudes negativas de los directivos del FDC e incluso de sus propias familias. El autor sostiene que las personas sin discapacidades y los propios familiares de las mujeres con alguna discapacidad creen que por esta situación tienen menos solvencia crediticia.     

Beyond toilets and targets: sanitation mission in India

In an attempt to address Sustainable Development Goal 6, the Government of India’s initiative, Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), aims to make India open-defecation free by 2018. This viewpoint analyses the consequences of SBM from the perspective of women and water in the context of toilets. With the construction of toilets for 2.4 million people, the vulnerability of women is expected to worsen as available water is scarce. The viewpoint concludes that construction of toilets as a target is difficult to achieve and sustain without green technology design that overcomes the constraints of water and women.     

A market-based solution to a sanitation issue in a marginalised area

Neo-liberal ideology, as an abstract technique of self-governance and population management, is often viewed as tolerant of extreme inequality within a market economy. However, the range of policy proposals that flow from the ideology are not necessarily insensitive to development projects in marginalised areas. Sensitivity to market mechanisms may inject pragmatism in contexts where states are unable or unwilling to supply capability enhancing public goods. Through an analysis of the Center for Urban and Regional Excellence’s proof-of-concept development project in India, this article argues that a market-oriented framework can be useful in mitigating collective action problems.     

Teaching Amina to read

The Government of India has made strides in increasing its education spending and improving access to schools, but there is much left to do. Programmes have concentrated on the expansion of higher education in India. In fact, public spending per student on the tertiary level is over six times what it is on the primary level. Non-enrolment can affect every aspect of a child's life. Education can give young girls the skills to make decisions independent of their husbands or families, access healthcare and other social programmes, and enter the workforce. This article offers reflections on some of the stubborn challenges around girls' education in India, based on a personal experience of volunteering in Jaipur.

Point de vue : enseigner la lecture à Amina

Le gouvernement indien a fait de grands progrès dans l'augmentation de ses dépenses en matière d'éducation et l'amélioration de l'accès aux écoles, mais il reste encore beaucoup à faire. Les programmes se sont concentrés sur l'expansion de l'éducation supérieure en Inde. De fait, les dépenses publiques par étudiant en niveau tertiaire sont plus de six fois supérieures à celles consacrées aux élèves du niveau primaire. La déscolarisation peut influer sur tous les aspects de la vie des enfants. L'éducation peut conférer aux jeunes filles les compétences nécessaires pour prendre des décisions indépendamment de leur mari ou de leur famille, pour accéder aux soins de santé et autres programmes sociaux et pour intégrer la population active. Cet article propose des réflexions sur certains des défis tenaces autour de l'éducation des filles en Inde, fondées sur une expérience personnelle de volontariat à Jaipur.

Ponto de vista: Ensinando Amina a Ler

O Governo da Índia tem feito avanços ao aumentar seus gastos com educação e melhorar o acesso a escolas, mas ainda há muito o que fazer. Os programas têm se concentrado na expansão do ensino superior na Índia. Na verdade, o gasto público por estudante no nível universitário é mais do que seis vezes o gasto no nível primário. A falta de matrícula pode afetar todo aspecto da vida de uma criança. A educação pode oferecer ás meninas as habilidades para tomar decisões independentes de seus maridos ou famílias, acesso a serviço de saúde e outros programas sociais e a entrada no mercado de trabalho. Este artigo oferece reflexões sobre alguns dos desafios constantes acerca da educação de meninas na Índia, com base em uma experiência pessoal de voluntariado em Jaipur.

Punto de vista: enseñando a Amina a leer

El gobierno de India ha aumentado la inversión en educación y ha mejorado el acceso a la enseñanza pero queda mucho por hacerse. En India, los presupuestos se han destinado en gran parte al desarrollo de la educación superior. De hecho, el gasto público por alumno en el nivel universitario es seis veces mayor que en el nivel primario. No inscribirse puede tener efectos en todos los aspectos de la vida de los niños y niñas. La educación puede proporcionar herramientas a las niñas y jóvenes para tomar decisiones independientes de sus esposos o familias, para acceder a los servicios de salud o a otros programas sociales y para ingresar al mercado laboral. Este ensayo presenta algunas reflexiones sobre los grandes retos que existen en India para la educación de las niñas basándose en la experiencia personal de la autora como voluntaria en Jaipur.     

Decommissioning dams in India: a comparative assessment of Mullaperiyar and other cases

With the ruefully anticipated breakdown of the Mullaperiyar dam in Kerala as the central issue, this article debates the decommissioning of large dams in India. Drawing on other examples of dam breakdown and decommissioning cases from India and the USA, the author argues that dams that have failed to deliver on their promises or are in an unsafe condition should be selectively decommissioned.

Démantèlement de barrages en Inde : évaluation comparative de Mullaperiyar et d'autres cas

En prenant comme prétexte le démantèlement prévu, à regret, du barrage de Mullaperiyar dans le Kerala, cet article discute du démantèlement des grands barrages en Inde. En s'inspirant d'autres exemples de cas de pannes et de démantèlement de barrages en Inde et aux États-Unis, l'auteur soutient que les barrages qui n'ont pas tenu leurs promesses ou qui sont en état précaire devraient être démantelés sélectivement.

El desmantelamiento de represas en India: una evaluación comparativa de Mullaperiyar y de otros casos

Utilizando como pretexto la avería de la represa Mullaperiyar en Kerala, el presente artículo analiza el desmantelamiento de las grandes represas de India. Apoyándose en ejemplos de averías y desmantelamiento de represas localizadas en India y en Estados Unidos, el autor propone que aquellas represas que no hayan cumplido con las expectativas que se tenían de ellas o que se encuentren en condiciones que generen inseguridad sean desmanteladas de manera selectiva.

Desativando barragens na Índia: uma avaliação comparativa de Mullaperiyar e outros casos

Diante do rompimento, tristemente previsto, da barragem de Mullaperiyar em Kerala, este artigo debate a desativação de grandes barragens na Índia. Baseando-se em outros exemplos de rompimento e desativação de barragens da Índia e dos EUA, o autor argumenta que as barragens que têm falhado em implementar aquilo a que se propõe ou estão em condições inseguras, devem ser seletivamente desativadas.     

Practical wisdom and ethical awareness through student experiences of development

How is book-learning at university made relevant to societal needs? What pedagogical framework helps to transform students from those who know about major challenges of the twenty-first century to those who know how to respond to such challenges in a particular socio-cultural and ecological context? This narrative about the practical experience of Canadian students in two separate international-development classes shows that learning is ultimately about linking the education of students to its consequences for communities and society. The students' maturation from a community of enquirers to a community of social practice is not just an intellectual transformation from ‘knowing that’ to ‘learning how’, but also the development of a heightened ethical awareness of the consequential link between freedom and responsibility.     

Climate change research in bilateral development programmes: experiences from India and Peru

This article reflects on the merits and shortfalls of bilateral research programmes aimed at strengthening climate change research capabilities, using the experience from two programmes, the PACC and IHCAP in Peru and India, respectively. The study highlights key aspects of these types of bilateral programmes, namely: capacity; performance, salary and appreciation; funding; bureaucracy and hierarchy; publishing; and data sharing. Furthermore, it emerged that these programmes would benefit from a more extensive consolidation phase of the research activities and partnership rather than rapidly transferring into out- and up-scaling phases.     

Social construction of capabilities and intersectional complexities in a Tamil village

India is an ethnographic museum, well-known for its national motto of “unity in diversity”. It is a country of diverse hierarchies where the social reality is intersected by the varied grades of caste and class, among others. Against this backdrop, this article conceptualises the intersections of primordial identities. The concept of intersection underscores how diverse social positions interact in a Tamil village in India. As intersectionality is “the mutually constitutive relations among social identities” (Shields 2008), the interactions of caste, class, and gender in education are conceptualised to understand the formation of capabilities.     

Peer education in sexual and reproductive health programming: a Cambodian case study

This article analyses in detail the impact and effectiveness of peer-education projects implemented in Cambodia under the Reproductive Health Initiative for Asia (RHI), in an attempt to provide important lessons for the design and implementation of such interventions and to contribute to the development of best practice. Under RHI, which was the first programme in Cambodia designed specifically to address the sexual and reproductive health needs of young people, peer education was implemented as if it were a directly transferable method, rather than a process to be rooted in specific social and political contexts. Consequently, peer-education concepts of empowerment and participation conflicted with hierarchical traditions and local power relations concerning gender and poverty; peer educators were trained to deliver messages developed by adults; and interventions were not designed to reflect the social dynamics of youth peer groups.     

Learning from experience in urban programming: the case of the SHAHAR project in Bangladesh

The article offers a reflective analysis of various problems encountered and lessons learned in implementing a programme to improve the livelihood security of the urban poor in secondary cities of Bangladesh. The study is based on the author's involvement as an external action-research partner, and a review of relevant secondary literature. A number of key lessons emerge for the success of project operations. These are the need for (1) a clear understanding of the links between project activities and project objectives by all staff; (2) capacity building for all staff tailored to their needs; (3) clear targeting criteria and programme coverage; (4) a full complement of operational guidelines, work plans, and monitoring and evaluation design before implementation; (5) ensuring ‘partnership of organisations’ not ‘partnership of activities’; (6) ensuring the real involvement of beneficiaries in all aspects of the project; (7) staff empowerment and a flexible approach to operations; (8) routine reflections on project progress; and finally (9) being ready to take bold steps and make necessary strategic changes, even if doing so requires significant deviations from pre-set activities and hypothetical schedules as featured in the project proposals.     

The human organisation: challenges in NGOs and development programmes

It is frequently contended that NGOs and the wider context of development are intrinsically different from other organisational settings within which Human Resource Development (HRD) is believed to play an important role. The author outlines the basic concepts underpinning human development within organisations, and organisational development, and sets out the arguments for greater investment in people. While this can raise ethical and practical issues in organisations that depend on external funds rather than generating their own income, the failure to develop the staff on whom a development organisation ultimately depends carries far greater risks. Management and specifically HRD are not desk-bound activities that can be pursued through the application of protocols and sanctions, but require vision, leadership, and hands-on engagement.     

Analysing wellbeing: a framework for development practice

This article presents a framework for analysing wellbeing in development practice, drawing on the work of the Wellbeing in Developing Countries Research Group (WeD). Wellbeing is viewed as a social process with material, relational, and subjective dimensions. Wellbeing may be assessed at individual and collective levels, but at base is something that happens in relationship – between individual and collective; between local and global; between people and state. The article considers potential hazards in taking wellbeing as focus, and concludes by considering what real difference such a focus could make.     

Integrating participatory elements into conventional research projects: measuring the costs and benefits

Until recently, participatory and conventional approaches to agricultural research have been regarded as more or less antagonistic. This article presents evidence from three sub-projects of a Thai–Vietnamese–German collaborative research programme on ‘Sustainable Land Use and Rural Development in Mountainous Regions of Southeast Asia’, in which participatory elements were successfully integrated into conventional agricultural research as add-on activities. In all three sub-projects the costs of studying local knowledge or enhancing farmers' experimentation consisted of additional local personnel, opportunity costs of participating farmers' time, and travel costs. However, these participatory elements of the research projects constituted only a small fraction of the total costs. It may be concluded that conventional agricultural research can be complemented by participatory components in a cost-effective way, while producing meaningful benefits in terms of creating synergies by blending scientific and local knowledge, scaling up micro-level data, and highlighting farmers' constraints affecting technology adoption.     

Institutionalising mechanisms for building urban climate resilience: experiences from India

This paper examines how mainstreaming of urban climate change resilience – a crucial consideration in an increasingly urbanised world – is occurring at both the city and national scale, using the case of an internationally-funded resilience-building initiative in India. Surat city's newly-established Climate Change Trust illustrates the importance of an institutionalised mechanism for coordinating and sustaining climate initiatives. Concurrently, climate resilience is being mainstreamed into the national urban development agenda, through a network of Indian institutions. These two nascent mechanisms offer avenues for local city-level experiences to inform national directives, driving and sustaining the urban climate adaptation agenda across India.     

The lost 1990s? Personal reflections on a history of participatory technology development

This article traces a history of agricultural participatory research, largely from the author's personal experience. Participatory research in the 1970s was mostly led by disciplinary scientists, and characterised by innovative activities and open academic debate, with some recognition that policy and development practice was a political process. The 1980s saw a shift to learning from past experience, and a participatory mainstream developed, seeking methods for scaling up. Meanwhile, others sought to understand and influence policy and institutional change in their political and cultural contexts, and to keep open the academic debates. The author considers the 1990s as ‘lost years’, during which mainstream participatory practitioners became inward-looking development generalists, not so interested in learning from others outside their paradigm. The late 2000s provide a chance to re-recognise the political and cultural embeddedness of science and technology; re-introduce strong, widely based disciplines; and learn from past activities that resulted in positive development outcomes (planned or unplanned).     

Fertility differential by husbands' occupational status and income in Dhanbad district,Jharkhand, India

The paper attempts to find out fertility differential by husbands' occupational status and income level in Dhanbad district, Jharkhand (India). The mean number of children ever born (MCEB) is used to measure fertility, and monthly income as the income variable. Older and younger cohorts of women were examined separately for assessing fertility differential. MCEB was found to be high for women with husbands employed as labourers with a low monthly income. This was true for both the cohorts, but fertility levels were much higher among the older cohort. Low MCEB was found with increasing income of husbands and for those in private jobs.

Différence de fécondité en fonction du statut professionnel et du revenu des maris dans le district de Dhanbad, Jharkhand, Inde

Cet article cherche à établir des différences potentielles sur le plan de la fécondité en fonction du statut professionnel des maris et de leur niveau de revenu dans le district de Dhanbad, à Jharkhand (Inde). Le nombre moyen d'enfants par femme (NMEF) est employé pour mesurer la fécondité, et le revenu moyen comme variable de revenu. Des groupes de femmes jeunes et plus âgées ont été examinés séparément pour évaluer la différence sur le plan de la fécondité. On a constaté que le NMEF était élevé pour les femmes dont les époux travaillaient comme ouvriers et percevaient un revenu mensuel faible. Il en était ainsi des deux groupes, mais le degré de fécondité était beaucoup plus élevé parmi les membres du groupe des femmes plus âgées. Un NMEF plus faible a été constaté parmi celles dont les maris avaient des revenus supérieurs ou occupaient des postes dans le secteur privé.

Diferencial de fertilidade pela condição ocupacional dos maridos e renda no distrito de Dhanbad, Jharkhand, Índia

O artigo visa descobrir o diferencial de fertilidade em razão da condição ocupacional dos maridos e nível de renda no distrito de Dhanbad, Jharkhand (Índia). O número médio de crianças nascidas (MCEB) é utilizado para medir a fertilidade, e a renda mensal como variável de renda. Grupos de mulheres mais velhas e mais novas foram examinados separadamente para se avaliar o diferencial de fertilidade. O MCEB encontrado foi alto para mulheres com maridos empregados como trabalhadores com baixa renda mensal. Isto ocorreu em ambos os grupos, mas os níveis de fertilidade foram muito mais altos entre o grupo mais velho. Um baixo MCEB foi encontrado com a renda crescente dos maridos e para aqueles em empregos privados.

La diferencial de fertilidad según el reconocimiento profesional y los ingresos de los esposos en el distrito de Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India

Este ensayo busca establecer la diferencial de fertilidad según el reconocimiento profesional y el nivel de ingresos de los esposos en el distrito de Dhanbad, en Jharkhand, India. El número promedio de hijos nacidos (NPHN) se utilizó para medir la fertilidad y se estableció la variable de ingreso de acuerdo al ingreso mensual. Se examinaron por separado grupos de mujeres, jóvenes y mayores, para evaluar la diferencial de fertilidad. Se determinó que el NPHN era alto para las mujeres cuyos esposos trabajaban como obreros con ingresos mensuales bajos. Esta situación prevalecía en ambos grupos de mujeres, pero los niveles de fertilidad eran más altos para el grupo de mayor edad. Un NPHN bajo se asoció a esposos con ingresos más altos o con un empleo en el sector privado.     

Women's empowerment revisited: a case study from Bangladesh

This article explores the changing dimensions of women's empowerment over time in three Bangladesh villages where one of the authors has been conducting research since 1991. The article discusses theoretical issues related to the measurement of women's empowerment, and describes findings from a recent study in the villages exploring the current salience of indicators developed for a 1992 survey. In the article we discuss the types of social, economic, and political change that affect the measurement of women's empowerment; propose and explain a new set of indicators for the rural Bangladesh setting; and discuss implications for measuring women's empowerment in other settings.