Andrina LeverFrancine Whiteduck

Mistassini Whiteduck

Definitions of Terms

Economic Development:

Sustainable growth of the means by which women andmen support themselves and their families and reach amen support themselves and their families and reach asustainable increase in living standards. It impliesincreased per capita income, better education and healthas well as environmental protection.

Definitions of Terms

Gender Equitable:� Process of treating women and men fairly so that any

government policies and programming ensures that bothsexes benefit equally from support.

� Due to the very different socio-economic conditions facingmen and women, sometimes this will require treating themdifferently to address the different priorities, needs andsituation of each sex.

� Sometimes requires sex-specific programming in someareas to address historic sex-based economic disadvantagesfor both sexes.

Key Elements in an Effective Approach to

Ensure Gender equity

The Framework:

1. Should not be gender-blind

• Must identify if there are any significantly different issues andpriorities for women and men.priorities for women and men.

2. Should focus on a number of development sectors• For Example

• Focus on economic development built in the natural resource andenergy sectors

• Areas where there is strong predominance of male employmentand ownership

• Raises doubts as to whether women will benefit directly.

The Framework3. Has a set of guiding principles that take into account

the different socio-economic conditions affectingwomen and men

4. Serves to change the existing socio-economicdivision between men and women

4. Serves to change the existing socio-economicdivision between men and women

5. Differentiate between the different needs andeconomies found in different communities (inSouthern and Northern areas) and of the differentroles that women and men play in these economies.

• E.g., the differences between local economies based on farmingand those based on hunting and fishing, the differences betweenrural and urban-based economies.

Key Analytical Areas to Consider• High level of poverty

• Levels of occupational concentration based on sex andhow women tend to be concentrated in areas that paylessless• E.g., approx. 50% women work in service sector versus 20% of

men

• Employment rates

• Factors such as lack of access to work, familyresponsibilities, lack of role models, etc.

Key Analytical Areas to Consider• Existing businesses owned by women and men and the

sectors these businesses are concentrated.

• Deficits in Human Capital - To increase employability ofwomen and their ability to work, need to first examinewomen and their ability to work, need to first examinewhat factors are keeping them out of the labour force.

• E.g., lack of access to childcare• Lack of funds for training• Training opportunities far from home• Lack of role models• Lack of exposure to labour market analysis• Early marriage• Low self-esteem• Limited job market in local communities

Implications of Lack of Gender Analysis• Assumptions that if women and men are treated the same

way, it will lead to the same results for both. This is a faultypremise

• There are significant differences in women and men’s• There are significant differences in women and men’saccess to resources and the ways in which they approachbusiness development.

• Women often concentrated in cultural and tourismindustries and micro and small enterprises, not the naturalresource and energy sectors, and face considerably morebarriers to economic development than men.

Barriers to Address

Inability to access capital• Women have less access to capital than men due to

lower incomes

• Also may be more risk adverse as can afford to risk less• Also may be more risk adverse as can afford to risk less

• Not clear if existing institutions aware of differentialaccess of women and men to capital and other gender-based barriers to economic development

• Therefore there is a need for assessment of the currentreach and service delivery from gender perspective.

Barriers to Address

• Currently most financial institutions still base riskassessments on financial assets and past track records inbusiness.

• To increase women’s access to capital for business start-upsand expansion, need to look at alternative models forassessing risk and assets.

• Need to go beyond assessment of financial assets.

Business Development Approaches

Women-owned businesses often demonstrate thefollowing characteristics:

• A strong commitment to their local community,• A strong commitment to their local community,particularly in terms of sourcing and employment.

• A perception of themselves as being at the centre oftheir business organization with teams and workinggroups emanating from that central position, ratherthan developing rigid hierarchical structures in whichthey are positioned at the top.

Business Development Approaches• A strong commitment to a vision that encompasses both

their private and business lives. This means that theyconstantly strive to develop sustainable business withmanageable growth rather than aiming for immediate highgrowth and overtrading.growth and overtrading.

• A focus upon the personal relationship aspects of businesscontacts, which supports long-term ambitions, (whichinclude high turnover and profitability).

Business Development Approaches

• A tendency to develop contacts through active networking,which they perceive as a rich business resource.

• A pattern of growing their business through a range ofrelationship alliances that frequently enable the creation ofA pattern of growing their business through a range ofrelationship alliances that frequently enable the creation ofmore businesses and trade.

• This results in slower growth of women run businesses, asmeasured traditionally by increased number of employees,but also generally fosters much more sustainable growth(Muir:2002).