a) Gender Aware Policymaking
Gender Aware Policymaking is the process of creating policies that recognize and address the different needs, roles, and experiences of women, men, and other gender identities. It is a crucial step toward achieving gender equality in development and governance.
Key Features:
- It includes collecting and analyzing gender-disaggregated data.
- Policies are designed to reduce gender gaps in access to education, employment, health, and decision-making.
- It involves active participation of women and marginalized genders in policy discussions.
Example:
Introducing maternity benefits in government employment schemes is an example of gender-aware policymaking. It recognizes women’s reproductive roles and provides support accordingly.
Benefits:
- Leads to inclusive development.
- Empowers women and ensures their participation in public life.
b) Welfare and Development
Welfare and Development are two important concepts in social planning and policy-making.
Welfare:
- Welfare refers to services or support provided to vulnerable groups to improve their quality of life.
- It includes free or subsidized healthcare, education, food distribution, and financial assistance.
- It is often seen as short-term help to meet basic needs.
Development:
- Development focuses on long-term empowerment through skill-building, capacity development, and equal opportunities.
- It promotes self-reliance and sustainable growth.
- Includes access to employment, education, and participation in decision-making.
Difference:
While welfare deals with immediate needs, development aims for long-term social change. Both are essential, but a development-oriented approach ensures sustainable gender equality.