The emergence of Gender and Development in the 1970s focused on ‘transforming the very way in which “development” was conceived’ in relation to gender (Cornwall 2007: 71). This was a shift beyond the Women in Development (WID) approach, which primarily concerned itself with increasing women’s representation and participation in already existing developmental frameworks and institutions (Visvanathan 2011: 18-19). Instead, GAD called for an ‘active engagement with the relations of power that reproduced an unequal and inequitable status quo’ (Cornwall 2007: 71). Theorising on the social construction of gender relations led to the unpacking of how socio-economic systems produce and maintain women’s subordination (Cornwall 2007: 72).
Cornwall et al also argue that if we are to effectively address the policing of gender we need to start making ‘linkages between sexuality, human rights and development’ (2008: 1). They argue that we should be just as concerned with ‘women feeling forced to cover their bodies to avoid unwanted sexual attention… [to] what people do when their clothes are off’ (Cornwall et al. 2008: 5-6). This could well determine not only one’s ability to enjoy sexual relations, but also their access to development resources and even the ‘very right to exist’ (Cornwall et al. 2008: 6).
Sex Work, Migration, and Human Trafficking in South Africa: From polarised arguments to potential partnerships
Mapping the law on sex work
Reflections on the ‘Theoretical Perspectives in Gender and Development’
