On the 8th of March, 2011, I was fortunate to join in the celebration of the 100th International Women’s Day in Kailahun–Sierra Leone. As a gender activist and a development practitioner myself, it was a great day not only in terms of the activities and actions that took place, but also what the day stood for – 100 years of women’s struggles and successes in achieving gender equality As I joined in the street procession, dancing to the traditional tunes with the women of Kailahun, clapping […]

This piece was submitted as part of an e-discussion on ‘Women and Poverty’ which was organised by the UNDP and UN/DESA between the 11th of January and 12th of February, 2010. There is no doubt that women have been given a centre stage in the poverty alleviation process even though this can be questioned on a number of grounds. This increasing attention is demonstrated in the enormous emphasis on women when it comes to enterprise development, microfinancing activities and other poverty […]

When Esther Boserup’s publication on women’s roles in economic development was published in the 70s, it was considered by many feminists as a path-breaking ground to document gender inequalities and a platform to advocate for gender equality and equity. Since her publication, issues of gender both as an intellectual discipline and a framework for policy analyses have received a major attention. It is therefore not surprising to find in these days NGOs, aid and donor agencies, policy and […]