This collection of essays by leading feminist thinkers from North and South constitutes a major new attempt to reposition feminism within development studies. Feminism's emphasis on social transformation makes it fundamental to development studies. Yet the relationship between the two disciplines has frequently been a troubled one. At present, the way in which many development institutions function often undermines feminist intent through bureaucratic structures and unequal power quotients. Moreover, the seeming intractability of inequalities and injustice in developing countries have presented feminists with some enormous challenges. Here, emphasizing the importance of a plurality of approaches, the authors argue for the importance of what 'feminisms' have to say to development. Confronting the enormous challenges for feminisms in development studies, this book provides real hope for dialogue and exchange between feminisms and development. “The book is exemplar in the field of feminist writing ... pioneering in its insights on the trajectory of gender and development debates and policy choices that have resulted from feminist engagement. The conceptual breadth of this work is impressive as it seamlessly covers multiple topics that are central to gender and development debates ... A compelling read.” ― Feminist Economics “It is honest, level-headed, yet deeply committed to core feminist values and principles. Its editors and authors must be commended for their courage and their persistence with the difficult questions.” ― Gita Sen “A lively and self-critical set of essays on the perils and potentials of feminist engagements with the structures of power in the development field, by those who have been there.” ― Naila Kabeer “Using an international perspective, it provides indispensable insights for everyone working on development, activists and women's movements around the world.” ― Pinar Ilkkaracan “Highly recommended to researchers, teachers, and activists in all fields of development study and practice.” ― Population and Development Review “Their work is significant for GAD (Gender and Development) practitioners and should be a mandatory read.” ― Wendy Miller, Lilith Andrea Cornwall is professor in anthropology and development at the University of Sussex, where she is an affiliate of the Centre for the Study of Sexual Dissidence and director of the Pathways of Women's Empowerment programme. Joining the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) as a fellow in 1998, she supported the emergence of work on sexuality and helped establish the Sexuality and Development Programme. She has published widely on gender and sexuality in development and is executive producer of Save us from Saviours, a short film on Indian sex workers' challenge of the rescue industry. Elizabeth Harrison lectures at the School of African and Asian Studies, University of Sussex. Feminisms in Development Contradictions, Contestations and Challenges By Andrea Cornwall, Elizabeth Harrison, Ann Whitehead Zed Books Ltd Copyright © 2007 Andrea Cornwall, Elizabeth Harrison and Ann Whitehead All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-84277-819-7 Contents Acknowledgements, viii, 1 Introduction: feminisms in development: contradictions, contestations and challenges ANDREA CORNWALL, ELIZABETH HARRISON AND ANN WHITEHEAD, 1, Part one: The struggle over interpretation, 2 Gender myths that instrumentalize women: a view from the Indian front line SRILATHA BATLIWALA AND DEEPA DHANRAJ, 21, 3 Dangerous equations? How female-headed households became the poorest of the poor: causes, consequences and cautions SYLVIA CHANT, 35, 4 Back to women? Translations, resignifications and myths of gender in policy and practice in Brazil CECILIA M. B. SARDENBERG, 48, 5 Battles over booklets: gender myths in the British aid programme ROSALIND EYBEN, 65, 6 Not very poor, powerless or pregnant: the African woman forgotten by development EVERJOICE J. WIN, 79, 7 'Streetwalkers show the way': reframing the debate on trafficking from sex workers' perspective NANDINEE BANDYOPADHYAY WITH SWAPNA GAYEN, RAMA DEBNATH, KAJOL BOSE, SIKHA DAS, GEETA DAS, M. DAS, MANJU BISWAS, PUSHPA SARKAR, PUTUL SINGH, RASHOBA BIBI, REKHA MITRA AND SUDIPTA BISWAS, 86, Part two: Institutionalizing gender in development, 8 Gender, myth and fable: the perils of mainstreaming in sector bureaucracies HILARY STANDING, 101, 9 Making sense of gender in shifting institutional contexts: some reflections on gender mainstreaming RAMYA SUBRAHMANIAN, 112, 10 Gender mainstreaming: what is it (about) and should we continue doing it? PRUDENCE WOODFORD-BERGER, 122, 11 Mainstreaming gender or 'streaming' gender away: feminists marooned in the development business MAITRAYEE MUKHOPADHYAY, 135, 12 Critical connections: feminist studies in African contexts AMINA MAMA, 150, 13 SWApping gender: from cross-cutting obscurity to sectoral security? ANNE-MARIE GOETZ AND JOANNE SANDLER, 161, Part three