Send message to Contributor

Contribution short abstract:

This presentation demonstrates how perceptions of empowerment, mediation styles and power dynamics among actors within craft-based WEE programmes in Egypt, affect women's agency or 'kayan'.

Contribution long abstract:

This presentation is based on ongoing research being conducted as part of the author’s PhD studies at IDS. The research seeks to explore the varying perceptions of empowerment among three participant groups involved in one NGO’s handicraft-based Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) programme (the women beneficiaries of the programme; the supervisors that mediate this programme; and the NGO that implements it) being implemented across three workshop locations and the mechanisms through which these programmes are delivered that have acted as either an aid or hindrance to women's agency or 'kayan'. The research took place in 2022 across three of the poorest neighbourhoods in Cairo. A multi-qualitative methods approach was used through Focus Group Discussions, interviews and ethnographic observations. The presentation presents the preliminary findings of this research, which show how three specific factors permeate, influence, shape and complicate the formal project mechanisms employed in craft-based WEE programmes in Egypt. They are: 1) the participants embodiment of a decolonial and different notion of empowerment as compared to what is said in the literature; 2) the supervisors style of mediation within their respective workshops; and 3) the existing power dynamics (critically analysed from a feminist perspective) between the participants. It is such discrepancies in the understandings of women’s empowerment, mediation style and power imbalances that underscore the importance of NGOs to adopt and prioritise the lived experiences and perceptions of the beneficiaries as well as the technical expertise and mediation style of supervisors in craft-based WEE programmes.

Send message to Contributor

Contribution long abstract:

In mainstream development, gender equality and women’s empowerment are positioned as economic tools. Some concessions exist for rights-based aims, if rarely intersectional or social justice priorities. Regardless, our industries still cater to reductive dominant visions, including Northern universities which facilitate students’ desired careers in development organisations. This involves many students from the Global South and diaspora groups, partly as ‘Western’ degrees are valued for social mobility in Southern societies. However, pursuing radical aims for emancipatory gender equality from within Northern settings prompts reflection: as lecturers, we inescapably populate colonised spaces and can limit decolonisation to a metaphorical realm, bearing complicities with inequalities and imbalances that shape ‘who’ enters our classrooms and ‘what’ we are expected to teach in them.

Grappling with related themes, this paper charts an experience of co-producing (with students) and delivering a ‘gender and development’ module in a UK University. Examining weaknesses, silences, and exclusions arising from how gender can be deployed in development practice, it prompted student hopes on what it may still offer. Yet, it also elicited clear calls to prioritise spaces for radical, cutting-edge, and intersectional frames and actions if transformation and equity is what we truly seek. As such, sharing classroom-based reflections, this paper discusses experiences of working with a diverse cohort of aspiring development professionals in our era of mass systemic inequality on economic, racial, gendered, sexual, and other, oft-intersecting lines. it also shares ideas for future teaching practice, not least my own.

Send message to Contributors

Contribution short abstract:

Examining post-colonial feminist development in Assam's tea gardens, this study delves into identity politics, social justice, and gender dynamics. It reveals historical imbalances, traces feminist strategies, and emphasizes inclusive development, contributing to post-colonial feminist discourse.

Contribution long abstract:

This study explores the intricate interplay of post-colonial feminist development, social justice, and identity politics in Assam's tea gardens. Rooted in a history of exploitative labor practices during the colonial era, the tea industry in Assam has disproportionately impacted women, constituting a significant part of the workforce. Post-colonial initiatives aimed at feminist development and social justice seek to rectify historical gender imbalances, recognizing the nuanced role of women and navigating the complex dynamics of gender identity politics within tea plantation communities.

Beginning with an examination of the enduring impact of colonialism on Assam's tea gardens, the study highlights entrenched patriarchal structures in labor relations. The evolution of post-colonial feminist development strategies is then traced, encompassing educational programs, skill development initiatives, and the active promotion of women's involvement in decision-making processes.

The study underscores the multi-dimensional aspects of social justice, incorporating economic, social, and gender considerations. Feminist approaches to development not only address gender-based disparities but also engage with broader identity politics within the tea industry. The analysis extends to the impact of these initiatives on the overall well-being of tea garden communities, emphasizing the necessity for inclusive development strategies that navigate the intricate terrain of gender and identity politics.

Drawing on empirical data and case studies, the study offers a comprehensive analysis, contributing to the discourse on post-colonial feminist theory and development studies. It sheds light on the complexities of navigating identity politics through feminist lens within the context of tea plantation economies in Assam.

Send message to Contributor

Contribution short abstract:

Drawing on decolonial and indigenous feminisms from the majority world I explore what the Women, Peace and Security agenda can learn from Colombia’s transitional justice authority’s ground-breaking resolutions declaring specific territories in the country as ‘victims of the conflict’.

Contribution long abstract:

Colombia’s transitional justice authority, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), was established after the peace accord that ‘ended’ a 50 year-long conflict in November 2016. Since then, it has passed five ground-breaking resolutions declaring specific territories and natural entities in the country as ‘victims of the conflict,’ with their consequent rights to justice, truth, reparations and participation in the legal process. These resolutions come as a result of longstanding demands by ethnic groups, who have progressively managed to be recognized under Colombian law and to access positions of power within the JEP. Indigenous and Black women, who have been disproportionately impacted by the conflict, are at the core of these achievements and have resisted not only militarized conflict but neoliberal and capitalist projects in their territories for decades. When thinking of the United Nations Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, its approach to transitional justice and peace appears to be incompatible with that of Colombian women. Echoing feminist critique on the issue of which women get to be included, I explore the following question: What can the WPS agenda learn from the Colombian notion of ‘nature as a victim of conflict’? Drawing on decolonial and indigenous feminisms from the majority world, I conduct critical discourse analysis of legal documents and reports by indigenous and afro-Colombian organizations to understand how the WPS agenda must broaden its scope beyond conflict-related sexual violence and expand its understandings of peace and conflict if it is ever to represent the women of Abya Yala.

Send message to Contributor

Contribution short abstract:

This study analyzes the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a postcolonial lens, highlighting the impact of British colonial legacies and Western media portrayal. It focuses on the persistent marginalization of Palestinians and calls for a reframing that recognizes all parties' humanity.

Contribution long abstract:

This study embarks on a critical exploration of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, employing a postcolonial lens to unravel the enduring impact of British colonial legacies and their profound influence on the region's contemporary dynamics. At the heart of this analysis is the argument that the challenges faced in Palestine today are direct consequences of historical colonial actions, perpetuated by persistent global power imbalances. Utilizing Judith Butler's "Frames of War," the paper scrutinizes the Western media's portrayal of the conflict, uncovering a systematic dehumanization and marginalization of Palestinian lives. This is complemented by an in-depth application of Martha Nussbaum's concept of dehumanization to further explore the impact of colonial-established global hierarchies.

The methodological approach of this study involves a review of historical documents coupled with a comprehensive media analysis. This dual approach facilitates a nuanced understanding of how Western political and military involvement, influenced by the global status quo, has shaped the current state of the conflict. The paper asserts that this involvement has played a pivotal role in hindering the realization of Palestinians' 'real freedoms' and capabilities, thereby perpetuating their marginalization.

This research contributes to the broader academic discourse by highlighting the role of Western governments in the conflict and advocates for a critical reframing. It emphasizes the need for an approach that prioritizes the humanity of all parties involved, with a particular focus on the marginalized and oppressed. Such reframing is vital for fostering a deeper understanding of the conflict and paving the way for meaningful social and political transformation.