International Women and Development
“The world is also starting to grasp that there is no policy more effective in promoting development, health, and education than the empowerment of women and girls."
~ Kofi Annan
The Institute’s research focuses on developing ways to help international women improve their conditions and opportunities for growth. With significant numbers of development initiatives operating worldwide with limited results, the 10-year longitudinal investigations being conducted by the Institute is a rare effort to examine the long-term effectiveness of a non-governmental organization’s multiple projects in the Ouelessebougou area of Mali, Africa. In addition to studying the impact of gardens, wells, health, education, adult literacy, and microenterprise initiatives on women’s everyday lives and those of their families, the Institute also studied the interface between cultures and between organizations in order to identify the most effective ways for diverse peoples to mutually benefit from each other with particular interest in women’s participation in this process.
Selected Research Projects
Impact of Community Gardens on Women's Lives. Collecting the perspectives and experiences of women in rural Mali, this research documents the strategies used in food production in which women’s roles are central. Specifically, data have been gathered on whether women’s knowledge and resources have been incorporated into the planning and implementation of gardens, and the impact of the community gardens in meeting the needs of the local women, including the cost and benefits of the projects to the women involved.
Asset-Based Health Development in Mali. After having tracked less effective means of trying to improve the health of these villagers, this project is focused on efforts to build the capacities of the village people themselves and mobilize local resources to improve the overall health and well-being of women, men, and children in several rural areas. This research is focused on documenting and analyzing the processes involved in empowering local beneficiaries as they unfold in Ouelessebougou. It will also evaluate the resulting health outcomes among women and their families.
Gendered Experiences with Adult Literacy. Using ethnographic techniques to study literacy instruction in several rural villages in Mali where approximately 70% of women are illiterate, researchers have obtained information on the participation of women and men, the meaning of literacy to participants, and the contextual factors that influence the social and personal benefits of literacy in women’s daily lives. The purpose of this project is to determine how women procure, experience, and are impacted by literacy training over several years.
The Interplay of Gender and Culture on Learner-Centered Strategies in Community Schools. This study is examining the shift from the traditional schooling model characterized by teacher-oriented didactic instructions to an approach that emphasizes active inquiry-based student-centered learning. Because of student-centered learning’s potential to address the particular needs of female students, this project is seeking to understand the interplay of gender, culture, and outsider expectations on the attempts of non-governmental organizations to create such educational programs. These non-traditional ways to help women and girls learn require interactions and adjustments between gender, traditions, and communities in better development of human capital.
Informal Banking for Women. The Women’s Research Institute research has assessed the type and level of participation by women in a non-governmental organization’s informal banking project and whether higher earnings have been realized. Researchers are also analyzing how involvement in such a program changes the status and quality of life for these women in terms of contributions to household expenses and access to credit.
Factors Determining Effectiveness of Development Initiatives. This research specifically looked at the emerging issue of local participation in development and how a non-governmental organization has structured and restructured itself to promote and manage this issue. Each approach is being evaluated in terms of its ability to yield significant improvements over traditional development approaches.
Influence of Research on International Women and Development
Academic Communities. Currently, scholars are primarily engaged in critiques of development policies and practices and are discussing their problems and failings. Within this discourse, concrete examinations of development alternatives in terms of benefits and short-comings are lacking. The Women’s Research Institute research specifically responds to this need, as well as to the need for quality, longitudinal research on local participation-based undertakings. Such approaches and their findings have been identified as crucial by a number of development scholars, hereby providing support and appreciation for the type of research the Institute has undertaken.
Development Organizations. The Women’s Research Institute research addresses critical questions in the ongoing debate about structures of participation for both local sites and sponsors of development. Its studies provide data based on both local and sponsor perspectives which can aid in understanding the dynamics and problems resulting from the interface between different cultures aiming for mutual development.
Ouelessebougou-Utah Alliance. The research of the Institute is relevant in several important ways to the Alliance. First, it has produced important information for understanding the effectiveness of the development programs that have been implemented by the Alliance. And second, the Institute has informed the decision making processes of the Alliance regarding its long-term role in the communities it is already operating in as well as its future possible partnerships with new communities.
Ouelessebougou Residents. An important but often ignored audience for results from this research is the people of Ouelessebougou, who have participated in projects and who are contributing data to the research. The Women’s Research Institute is identifying ways to involve the local people in the entire process of development from initial conceptualization through implementation and evaluation as well as ways to present findings. It is hoped that such information can change knowledge relations and empower local people to better negotiate their need with organizations offering aid.
Collaborating Teams. Additional opportunities to share methods and findings are also found in collaborative research with organizations pursuing similar and/or complementary objectives. For example, for several years, the Women’s Research Institute collaborated with Chief Dull Knife College, Montana State University, and the Peace Corps in examining the effects of an Integrated Pest Management Technology in Mali. The purpose of this research was to discover the factors that contribute to the variation in the success among local female and male farmers, primarily through observations of agricultural practices, crop use, and diet.