NGOs, Gender Mainstreaming, and Urban Poor Communities in Mumbai

Citation:

Vandana, Desai. 2005. "NGOs, Gender Mainstreaming, and Urban Poor Communities in Mumbai." Gender and Development 13 (2): 90-8.

Author: Desai Vandana

Abstract:

This article focuses on gender mainstreaming in small grassroots NGOs in the Indian city of Mumbai. It identifies some of the gaps in activities and challenges that these organisations face, and explores the links between gender mainstreaming and women's empowerment. NGOs working at community level can play an important role in supporting women to challenge customs, ideas, and beliefs which perpetuate unequal gender relations. This role of NGOs becomes particularly challenging in a context of rapid social and cultural change, such as Mumbai. The article argues that despite commitments to gender mainstreaming, NGOs have insufficient understanding that they can facilitate the process of empowerment of women in such a context.

Keywords: gender mainstreaming, NGO, empowerment

Topics: Economies, Poverty, Gender, Gender Mainstreaming, Gendered Power Relations, Gender Equality/Inequality, NGOs Regions: Asia, South Asia Countries: India

Year: 2005