The Gender and Development (GAD) Paradigm: Empowerment of Rural Afghan Women Through Collaborative Initiatives

Afghanistan is situated in the “patriarchal belt” and constitutes an extreme case of classic patriarchy. Women living in rural areas are, for the most part, subject to forms of control and subordination, which include gender segregation and the association of female virtue with family honour. Young brides – as young as nine or 10 years old – marry into large families, gain respect primarily by bearing sons, and later on in life obtain power as mothers-in-law. Seclusion of women from all but intimate family members is typical of such societies. Women’s freedom is decidedly limited as most wear the ‘burqa’ – a full body-covering – in public. This is because women’s roles in Afghanistan are structurally determined by the sex/gender system, state structure, as well as the level and type of economic development. As the rebuilding of Afghanistan begins, the role of women in the process remains a vital issue. Gender, in the context of Afghanistan, entails social relations, culture/religion, subordination, and patriarchy. Though, it is important to note that women’s low status and situation of gender inequality is not primarily due to patriarchy, but also a result of gender and social relations, the presence of a weak state, and a history of development from the top-down, characterized by a low level of industrialization. Hence, gender relations in Afghanistan are historically specific; they are determined by social, economic, class, political, legal, as well as cultural/religious factors. Like all Muslim majority societies, the interaction of Islamic culture with secularism, nationalism, ethnicity and other important historical, social, and economic mechanisms structure the lives of rural Afghan women (as well as men). Often, Islamic culture is considered to be the primary agent in determining the identities of women in such societies, and is used to justify war, occupation, and invasion. Though twenty-two years of war, invasion, and violent conflict has marred social capital in Afghanistan, women are still able to organize gender-related survival strategies and, in the process, become aware of more gender-specific concerns. This is established not only through aid/assistance but also through partnerships with national and international women’s organizations, women’s media, and non-government organizations (NGOs). These joint ventures enable rural women to feel more empowered and break taboos; thereby working towards changing gender relations and perceptions at a much deeper level.

Récupéré en direct depuis OpenAlex et désinversé. Les résumés ne sont pas conservés dans cette base de données : les index inversés représentent 8,6 Go des 9,3 Go de texte de la base, et le serveur dispose de 13 Go libres.