Assets, Agency and Legitimacy: Towards a Relational Understanding of Gender Equality Policy and Practice

Gendered vulnerabilities to climate change: insights from the semi-arid regions of Africa and Asia

“…With provisioning a central element of male identities, non-recognition and even vilification for neglecting their responsibilities, can aggravate male sensitivities, giving truth to the discourse of 'men as a problem'. More meaningful here would be a relational analysis of power and authority in shaping access to water, through community, market and state-level institutions, and understanding how gender plays out in terms of labour contributions, decision-making roles, differential knowledge and access to productive resources, in this process (Rao, 2017). The second lesson for policy then is to support and facilitate cooperation within households and communities, rather than targeting either men or women, often placed in opposition to each other.…”

“…They are deeply embedded in social relations and contribute to perceptions of well-being (Rao, 2017). To maintain their position as leaders, customary chiefs often support women's voice and choice, both formally and informally, as this in a way signifies their own power and authority in the community (Flintan, 2010;Rao, 2008).…”

Making sense of ‘intersectionality’: A manual for lovers of people and forests

“…For instance, the Hindu Succession Act of India, and the 2007 Interim Constitution of Nepal have meant that women are equally entitled to inherit parental land. While there is no denying that these changes provide the normative framework for women to make claims should they wish, research monitoring progress on reducing the gender gap in ownership of land has shown that these policies have had very little effect (Rao 2017). These countries remain among the most skewed globally.…”

“…As Rao (2017) points out, there are three problems with indicators such as WEAI. First, they risk assuming that women and men in the same household are seeking individual gains or material wealth in competition with one another, and hence, these household models pit women against men.…”

“…Returning to Rao (2017) and WEAI, by focusing on abstract households, other long-standing oppressive structures, tensions and exclusions in the institutions of the state and society are ignored.…”