性别分层的法律蕴涵

性别不平等、性别歧视、女人的"隐而不见性",都深深地根植于社会结构之中,深受财富、威望和权力之影响。当社会发生变化之时,一切都在改变。人类的性包含了很多社会、文化、历史因素的,性正是被这些因素所构建、所塑就的。自宋至清,无论是寡妇、女儿还是妾的财产继承权都不可和男子的继承权相提并论、同日而语,这俨然是性别在财产方面的一种分层。性别暴力是一种男性支配的表现,不是天生的性欲,当一个文化贬抑"女性化"特质时,男性就会借由性别暴力和其他形式的支配来贬抑女性。性法律是性分层和性迫害最强有力的根据。因此,性别在法律上得以分层,并成为性别不平等、性别压迫的来源、媒介甚至工具,尽管这种分层是不完全的。     

Female entrepreneurs and poverty reduction: hair craft SMEs in Tanzania

This study attempts to link poverty alleviation with specific sectors and gender in the context of a developing country, focusing on, female hairstylists in Tanzania. Using the absolute definition of poverty based on income/consumption in relation to specific nationally and internationally defined living standards, the study examined the income and consumption patterns of 230 women engaged in the hairstyling business in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Findings suggest that female entrepreneurs in the business earn more relative to conventionally defined indicators. Their earnings have improved their consumption, investments and savings, and enabled them to fulfil their dependents’ basic needs.     

Participatory visual research with subsistence farmers in Papua New Guinea

This article discusses the trial of visual research methods in a socio-economic research and development project with women subsistence farmers and their families in two regions of Papua New Guinea (PNG). It reports on the benefits and challenges of three visual research methods (drawing, participatory photography, and picture elicitation) to explore the agricultural practice of women subsistence farmers and their families. The paper discusses the potential of these methods for enhancing community engagement, reducing the power imbalance between researchers and participants, and promoting dialogue and reflection to better understand the needs and practices of subsistence farmers.     

A praxis-based global ethical discourse on development and women

This article explores a praxis-based moral approach to the study of development and women. Drawing upon an illustrative case-study of Ankur Kala – a non-governmental organisation devoted to the development of destitute women in Kolkata, India – the article shows how studying actual development practices on the ground generates valuable insights without which our ethical understanding of women's development globally would be incomplete.     

Intersection of disability and gender: multi-layered experiences of Ethiopian women with disabilities

This article explores the intersection of disability and gender through the experiences of Ethiopian women with disabilities using household chores as an example. As these women are often hidden at home, little literature is available on them. Thus this article aims to highlight the lived experiences of women with disabilities who are or have been at home. The interviewed women introduce peer support as an important means to increase their self-esteem and face stigma in their daily lives in a positive manner through dialogue and negotiation. The paper further suggests employing women with disabilities as a means to enable them to play a significant role in development cooperation by changing the status quo towards equality.     

Fostering agency and wellbeing in women: an evaluation of the IMAGINE Initiative

There is growing evidence that fostering individual agency for women is important for effective economic development and well-being. This article assesses the outcomes of the IMAGINE Initiative in Kenya, a programme intended to empower individuals through a four-day interactive workshop. Routine de-identified programme data from 213 individuals who applied to participate were used. Data included socio-demographic measures, psychometric scales, and interviews of changes in education, health, economics, and relationships. Programmatic data showed significant changes in the level of intrinsic motivation and agency for those who underwent the training and as well as substantial behavioural changes in core areas of their lives.     

Gender justice: the World Bank's new approach to the poor?

Gender inequality is now widely acknowledged as an important factor in the spread and entrenchment of poverty. This article examines the World Development Report 2000/01 as the World Bank's blueprint for addressing poverty in the twenty-first century, together with several more recent Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs), with a view to analysing the manner in which gender is incorporated into the policy-making process and considering whether it constitutes a new approach to gender and poverty. It is argued that the World Bank's approach to poverty is unlikely to deliver gender justice, because there remain large discrepancies between the economic and social policies that it prescribes. More specifically, the authors contend that the Bank employs an integrationist approach which encapsulates gender issues within existing development paradigms without attempting to transform an overall development agenda whose ultimate objective is economic growth as opposed to equity. Case studies from Cambodia and Vietnam are used to illustrate these arguments.     

Citizens’ perceptions of the courts: The impact of race, gender, and recent experience

This study examined the influences of race, gender, and recent court experience on citizens’ perceptions of the courts in their communities. Using national survey data collected in 2000, this research assessed variation in perceptions of the courts along four dimensions: differential treatment, fair procedure and outcome, concern and respect, and overall evaluation. The results showed that racial minorities, including Blacks and Latinos, were more likely than Whites to have negative attitudes toward the courts. While race is generally a better predictor than gender, the interaction between gender and race is important in understanding citizen’s perceptions of the courts. Citizens who have recent personal contact with the courts tend to rate the courts less favorable than those who have no recent contact. Citizens’ opinions of the police and equal opportunity are also significantly related to their perceptions of the courts. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.     

女性的性别失落与尴尬——试论延安时期的女性写作

在男女平等的表象下,延安时期的女性写作和她们笔下的女性形象依然表明,女性仍然处于依附者地位。她们不仅从外形上失去女性特征,还被剥夺了女性私密空间。她们的婚姻并未实现真正的平等,反而加速了被物化的过程。同时根据需要,她们不断调整奉献给革命的方式,即便在此过程中遭遇了巨大的身体苦难。     

Violence in development: the logic of forced displacement on Colombia's Pacific coast

A progressive piece of legislation in 1993 granted collective land rights to Colombia's black communities living in the rural areas of the Pacific coast region. This measure aimed partly to support sustainable development strategies in the region through territorial empowering of local communities. Yet 14 years later, the escalation of the country's internal conflict into the Pacific region has created unprecedented levels of forced displacement among rural black communities. Once referred to as a ‘peace haven’, the Colombian Pacific coast is now characterised by new spaces of violence and terror, imposed by warring guerrilla and paramilitary groups, as well as the armed forces. This article examines the nature of the externally induced violence in the region and shows how specific economic interests, in particular in the African Palm sector, are colluding with illegal groups that are used to spread fear and terror among local residents, to make them comply with the requirements of these economic actors.