Cross-cultural Research on Women and Development in Asia

1996 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 08041085
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for international Scientific Research
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: Field Research
• Research Institution: National Women's Education Center
• Principal Investigator: OHNO Teruko National Women's Education Center, Director-General, 館長 (40271580)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): ITO Machiko National Women's Education Center, Researcher, 事業課, 研究員 (00280511) ; ITO Ruri Meijigakuin University, Associate Professor, 国際学部, 助教授 (80184703) ; MEGURO Yoriko Sophia University, Professor, 文学部, 教授 (40053631) ; OSAWA Mari The University of Tokyo, Associate Professor, 社会科学研究所, 助教授 (50143524) ; HARA Hiroko Ochanomizu University, Profesor, ジェンダー研究センター, 教授 (90120831)
• Project Period (FY): 1996
• Keywords: women / women and development / gender / empowerment / gender analysis / life course / Thailand / Nepal

Research Abstract

The objectives of this program are (1)to clarify the Gender Analysis on Women / Gender and Development, and (2)to construct the contents and the means of the empowerment of women. Interdisciplinary and positive research was expected.
A gender analysis needed to be done on the topics as follows ; (1)differences between women and men in terms of the gender roles, division of labor and educational level, (2)obstacles to women's participation in development, (3)influences of WID project, (4)influences of social policies. It was intended in the present research to examine a mechanism of women's empowerment within the existing economic, social, political and environmental conditions and to find possible ways in which women may further empower themselves. Weconstructed the gender analysis framework to relate individual gebder relations to social and historical events in structural and cultural contexts by the life course approach. To verify the propriety of the framework, we conducted the fiel d research in Thailand and Nepal, as a pilot study using the Questionnaire.
1. Field Research
Duration : October 6-23,1996 (Thailand), November 23-December 7,1996 (Nepal) Research Site : Bangkok and Kohn Kaen (Thailand), Kathmandu and Pokhara (Nepal) Method :
a. To conduct interviews with project-related informants, community-based informants, policy-related informants and women's groups
b. To conduct interviews with women involved in WID project using the Questionnaire
c. To collect related materials (continue to next page)
2. Conference
Duration : January 24-26,1997 Venue : National Women's Education Center Contents :
a. Report on the tabulation of the interviews with women using the Questionnaire
b. Reports on the interviews with informants
C.Report on Women / Gender and Development in Asia, Thailand and Nepal
d. Plenary discussion on "A Gender Analysis Model on Women / Gender and Development"
We going to conduct the further field research in Thailand and Nepal in 1997 to elaborate our gender analysis model and the strategies for women's empowerment.