Women in Central America

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer discusses that the role of women in the Central America area is complicated. The writer notes that on the one hand, women are not given the same rights as men and are also treated by the Church and society in a paternal fashion. On the other hand, many women in such societies work more often side by side with men in the fields and in some urban work situations, though they tend to be under-represented in higher level positions, in business, and in the professions. The writer points out that more and more analysts are recognizing, however, that women in Central America may be a key factor in bringing about change for the future.

Outline:
Social Analysis
Ethical Considerations
Business Strategy

From the Paper:

"The shift has been one from a strategic to a more pragmatic perspective as well. The one approach prepares women for a role in development by teaching them skills and providing them with needed goods and tools for the tasks of caring for the family, for instance, while the other takes the approach of gender mainstreaming, which means using strategies and processes to integrate gender-responsive goals in directions, policies, budget, projects, and services of development agencies. The approach tries to assure that men and women have equitable access to needed resources, among which might be socially valued goods, opportunities, and rewards. GAD also implies equal participation in influencing what is valued in a society and in helping to shape development, taking a role in planning, priority setting, policies, processes, implementation, evaluation, and resource allocations."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Razavi, Shahrashoub and Carol Miller. " From WID to GAD: conceptual shifts in the women and development discourse." United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (1 Feb 1995). July 11, 2007. http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BCCF9/httpNetITFramePDF?ReadForm&parentunid=D9C3FCA78D3DB32E80256B67005B6AB5&parentdoctype=paper&netitpath=80256B3C005BCCF9/(httpAuxPages)/D9C3FCA78D3DB32E80256B67005B6AB5/$file/opb1.pdf.
• Sainz, Juan Pablo Perez. From the Finca to the Maquila: Labor and Capitalist Development in Central America. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1999.
• Staudt, Kathleen. Women, International Development, and Politics: The Bureaucratic Mire. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1997.
• Topik, Steven. "Historical perspectives on Latin American underdevelopment." The History Teacher (August 1987), 545-559.
• Women in Development: Achieving Results (2006, December 1). USAID Women in Development. (1 Dec 2006). July 11, 2007. http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/cross-cutting_programs/wid/.

More papers on Women in Central America:

• Essay # 63175 : "Role of Women in Latin American History"
• Analytical Essay # 66735 : "Ernest Hemingway's "Men Without Women"
• Analytical Essay # 47153 : "From Old World China to the New World America"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: