Download - Claire Duncanson-Gender and the MDGs
Gender and the MDGs
Dr Claire Duncanson
School of Social and Political Science
University of Edinburgh
Global Community Links
Millennium Development Goals
Strengths
• Explicit inclusion of gender in goal 3 – powerful symbol of success of feminist movement (Subrahmanian 2004)
• Moves beyond economic understanding of poverty – focus on education and healthcare
• Focus on maternal mortality
• Measurement
• Assessing obstacles to progress
• Accountability
Maternal Mortality
• 99% of maternal deaths occur in global South (Freedman 2003)
• In S-SA, lifetime risk of dying in pregnancy is 1 in 16 (Panos 2005)
• Children 3-10 times more likely to die within two years of mother’s death (Fraser 2005)
• Maternal mortality rates – UK: 8 deaths per 100,000 live births
– Malawi: 1,140 deaths per 100,000 live births (Guardian 2010)
Weaknesses
• MDGs = “Major Distraction Gimmick” (Antrobus, 2005)
• MDGs don’t capture the reality of poverty as experienced by women
• MDGs neglect Human Rights Framework of CEDAW (‘79), Cairo (‘94) and Beijing (‘95)
• MDGs technical tool for a political problem
• MDGs serve the neo-liberal agenda
Way Forward
• Rights-based approach to MDGs
• Empowerment of grassroots women
• Tackle gender inequality (rather than just adding women)
Further Reading: Monitoring the MDGs
• UN Women: http://www.unifem.org/gender_issues/millennium_development_goals/
• The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/millennium-development-goals
• Buvinic, M., Morrison, A.R., Sjoblom, M. and A. Waafas Ofosu-Amaah (2008) Equality for Women: Where Do We Stand on Millennium Goal 3? World Bank, available at http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTGENDER/Resources/EqualityforWomenfinal.pdf
Further Reading: Critical Perspectives and Debates
• Barton, Carol and Laurie Prendergast (eds) (2005) Seeking accountability on women's human rights: Women debate the Millennium Development Goals, New York: Women's International Coalition for Social Justice.
• Subrahmanian, R. (2004) ‘Promoting gender equality’ in R. Black and H. White (eds.) Targeting Development. Critical Perspectives on the Millennium Development Goals
• Sweetman, C. (2005) Gender and the Millennium Development Goals