Management
Engineers Without Borders chapters, within both professional and student chapters, are fortunate to have membership and leadership that 50% female representation, which is disproportionate for the STEM fields. The success of these engineering projects highly depends on the leadership and analyses made by the varied teams. This has been proven in scientific and engineering research. The success and great understanding developed by women in the field of Primatology is one example. Women led the field away from a competitive and androcentric understanding of primate behavior. Female primatologists proved that single-male troop of females are nothing like the traditional term, a harem. The traditional understanding was terribly skewed by the researcher’s societal norms (Fedigan, 2009). Therefore, variety in perspective will improve the ability of EWB teams to understand the partners’ cultures, and to respect them during implementation. Even though the research questions proposed by women and their solutions have progressed their respective fields, they are often ill represented. In a review of the Swedish Institute of Scientific Information, it was found that gender and reputable recommendations were the only statistically significant correlations in the award of post-doctoral fellowships (Wenneras & Wold, 2009). When reviewing the work of peers and their project proposals, gender stereotypes cannot be ignored, and should be eliminated from the process.
Implementation
Save the Children, and many other Not-for-profit organizations, are focused on the empowerment of women in developing communities. The solution is complicated when considered in a foreign culture, and requires long-term and in-person connections built in individual communities. For these, and other, reasons it is not the goal of EWB-USA projects to directly empower women. However it is indirectly accomplished by restricting projects to those that meet the basic needs of a community indiscriminately. Regardless, it is very important for team members to analyze the gender environment of a community and to recognize inequality. There has been a push among organization to improve gender equality in developing nations, formally since the publication of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The CEDAW focuses on outlining how women often lead communities out of poverty, which adds pressure to the need to empower. CEDAW proposed three thrusts to eliminate discrimination against women: passing reproductive rights, legalizing the status of married women, and introducing the concept of human rights in the context of other cultures (United Nations, 1979). Beyond poverty women are often leaders in grass roots movements for civil rights and the environment (Perry, 2009).
A review of different analysis frameworks presents that a holistic approach is superior. The activity and control profile of the community’s women, and the men’s perception of gender roles are two crucial components. It is important to visualize the impact of women through data and recording.
While in Bolivia, the EWB-USA, NCSU team noted gender roles as the Bolivian CETHA students working on an open rain and runoff catchment. Two female students were digging/excavating, while the male student was trying to hit birds with his slingshot.
The work disconnect can be quantified by assigning value to the production of goods, services, and human resources by the time allocated, and the location of the activity. Furthermore, an access and control profile of who uses and who controls the amenities is important; see the reference for details on implementation (Overholt et al., 1991). Understanding the view of men in control gives insight to the cause of discrimination. Men and boys should be involved in addressing and education their peers. This is important because patriarchal society and culture are often the root cause, so men should be thoroughly involved in the shift of perception; see the reference for details on implementation (Kaufman, 2003). These frameworks should be implemented on EWB-USA projects to inform the team, even though direct action is not within the scope of projects.
Works Cited
Fedigan, L. M., (2009). The Paradox of Feminist Primatology. In M. Wyer, M. Barbercheck, D. Giesman, H Orun Ozturk, & Marta Wayne (Ed.), Women, Science, and Technology (pp.50-56). New York, NY: Routledge.
Kaufman M. (2003). The Aim Framework: Addressing and Involving Men and Boys to Promote Gender Equality and End Gender Discrimination and Violence. Prepared under a contract with UNICEF.
Overholt, C. A., Cloud, K., Anderson, M. B., & Austin, J. E. (1991). Gender Analysis Framework. In A. Rao, C. A. Overholt, & M. B. Anderson (Ed.), Gender Analysis in Development Planning (pp. 9-22). Hartword, CT: Kumarian Press.
Perry, R., (2009). Engendering Environmental Thinking: A Feminist Analysis of the Present Crisis. In M. Wyer, M. Barbercheck, D. Giesman, H Orun Ozturk, & Marta Wayne (Ed.), Women, Science, and Technology (pp.50-56). New York, NY: Routledge.
United Nations. (1979). The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women Clinical training in serious mental illness. New York, NY: U.N. Division of the Advancement of Women.
Wenneras, C., & Wold, A. (2009). Neoptism and Sexism in Peer-Review. In M. Wyer, M. Barbercheck, D. Giesman, H Orun Ozturk, & Marta Wayne (Ed.), Women, Science, and Technology (pp.50-56). New York, NY: Routledge.