What Are the Political, Economic and Social Challenges of Women in the Developing World - Assignment Example

1 What are some of the reasons (hopefully including some not mentioned in the chapter) that democracy seems to contribute to greater gender equality? Under what circumstances might greater democracy end up diminishing women’s rights in some countries? (5pts) Naturally, when one is able to express a political viewpoint and allow that viewpoint to be counted, it allows the individual to begin to realize a host of other rights related to equality and gender acceptance. Moreover, when one looks at the nations in the world that have a high degree of democracy and they are able to note a high degree of female participation in the electorate, this is usually a strong indication that the rights of women in the given nation will be noticeably higher than those nations that do not display such a high degree of civic involvement and/or democracy. By allowing women to have a voice with respect to the political process, a whole new range of political perspective is opened up for analysis. Conversely, culture itself oftentimes plays an even more powerful role than does the democratization of a nation. For this reason, in nations where the harsh constraints of a conservative interpretation of religion is the norm, it is likely that even if women have the right to vote, the traditional cultural understanding of gender roles and the female’s place within society will be primarily interpreted through such a cultural lens and therefore work to diminish the overall rights enjoyed by women on aggregate. Such examples of the constricting role of culture within the political sphere can aptly be recognized in multiple regions the world over; oftentimes the result of the prevalence of an extreme adherence to a particular form of religious belief. 2. What are the political, economic and social challenges of women in the developing world? (5pts) Of the most importance to the political challenges that face women within the developing world is the degree to which traditional culture oftentimes confines their expression of political involvement. Furthermore, developing countries oftentimes do not have the available resources to implement programs of birth control. In this way, the lack of birth control invariably leads to women being bound to the home; unable to seek gainful employment, unable to pursue education, and saddled with the burden of raising multiple children. Such an impediment strongly reduces the competitiveness of society in terms of the global economy. Furthermore, as previously discussed, the key political challenge that women face within many developing countries is under-representation in the political process; either due to a systemic form of sexism or a cultural tradition that does not put a high level of emphasis on women in positions of authority and/or power. As such, without the requisite representation of women in the political process, it is hard to generate a degree of interest among the female electorate the commit to participation due to the fact that there is little interest in a process that they may otherwise see as completely male dominated (Adjei et al 234). Furthermore, this situation introduces a type of never-ending cycle of non-participation due to the fact that the female electorate will not engage due to the fact that there are few representations of women within the government. Accordingly, there are few female representations of women in the government because the female electorate is not engaging. 3. What kind of rural reform or development projects do you think would most benefit the rural poor? Why? (5 pts) With respect to this particular question, raising the standard of living among the rural poor is a question that has long interested development experts. Obviously, education is one of the first things that many authors have focused upon; however, as previously stated, the need to provide appropriate, low cost, and effective birth control to the rural poor is the single most proven way to begin to raise the quality of life within a given region. As roughly half of the population would be in control of their biological functions, the ability of the women to regulate their fertility and do so in such a way as to promote economic development, educational achievement, and political action are but a few ways that the standard of living could measurably be raised with but a small amount of investment into any given region (Mínguez et al 275). Whereas this author fully and wholeheartedly agrees that education is the key towards helping any region to develop and grow, oftentimes educational achievement cannot be made until women are put in control of their own biology. Additionally, educational and political integration is oftentimes a process that can take many, many years to attain; however, putting women in charge of their own biological cycle will affect a near immediate change in the way that fully half of the society is able to devote their energies. In this case, the causal mechanism which can serve to release a massive amount of potential within such communities is all concentric upon empowering women. 4. Discuss the political orientations of the urban poor. What does survey research tell us about the way that the urban poor look at their present circumstances and their views on prospects of improving them? (5pts) Oftentimes, a degree of understandable dissatisfaction and disenfranchisement defines the way that the urban poor of many countries consider the political machinations of the capital. Furthermore, due to the fact that they have likely been poor for quite some time and have not seen demonstrable proof that the government is at all interested in bettering their plight, oftentimes a degree of apathy is developed with regards to the political process. Such apathy oftentimes leads to further disenfranchisement as these regions are not able to cabal together the necessary votes to find candidates that will represent their key concerns in a representative assembly. Furthermore, it is oftentimes the case that the rural poor view the political process as so patently corrupt and fraudulent that they believe that even if they have a candidate, the voice of the poor and their unique and particular needs cannot be addressed adequately. Due to this pervasive belief of disenfranchisement and loss of trust within the system, the rural poor are, similar to the women that have already been discussed, oftentimes a group that does not receive equal treatment or consideration within the society (Foroohar 15). In this manner, in order to gain a greater degree of representation within the government, the rural poor must be convincingly engaged by a group of policy makers, educators, and politicians that can seek to convince them that they have their best interests in mind and will seek to lift the standard of living for these inhabitants of the region in a clear and measurable way. Works Cited Adjei, Prince Osei-Wusu, and Daniel Buor. "From Poverty To Poor Health: Analysis Of Socio-Economic Pathways Influencing Health Status In Rural Households Of Ghana." Health Sociology Review 21.2 (2012): 232-241. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. Foroohar, Rana. "For Richer Or Poorer." Time 179.10 (2012): 23. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. Mínguez, Almudena Moreno. "Gender, Family And Care Provision In Developing Countries:Towards Gender Equality." Progress In Development Studies 12.4 (2012): 275-300. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. Read More