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This book explores the meanings of gender justice and the practice of citizenship as shaped by context-specific histories, cultures and struggles. It presents a conceptual framework and provides four regional perspectives and a guideline for development programs. The section on Sub-Saharan Africa in particular focuses on the the definition of citizenship in the female experience as more than simply a formal relationship between the individual and the State, but also involving her position in a family, a community and an ethnic group. It also includes a section on "Gender inequalities in property relations".
[From the IDRC website] Although there have been notable gains for women globally in the last few decades, gender inequality and gender-based inequities continue to impinge upon girls’ and women’s ability to realize their rights and their full potential as citizens and equal partners in decision-making and development. In fact, for every right that has been established, there are millions of women who do not enjoy it.
In this book, studies from Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are prefaced by an introductory chapter that links current thinking on gender justice to debates on citizenship, entitlements, and law and development. A concluding chapter situates the discussion of gender justice, citizenship, and entitlements in current development debates on poverty alleviation and social exclusion. The book brings together multidisciplinary perspectives from leading feminist scholars of sociology, political science and legal studies, among others, and in doing so, provides new insights for both advocacy and research.
You can download this publication from the IDRC website.