Gender and the MDGs

Dr Claire Duncanson

School of Social and Political Science

University of Edinburgh

Global Community Links

Millennium Development Goals

Strengths

• Explicit inclusion of gender in goal 3 – powerful symbol of success of feminist movement (Subrahmanian 2004)

• Moves beyond economic understanding of poverty – focus on education and healthcare

• Focus on maternal mortality

• Measurement

• Assessing obstacles to progress

• Accountability

Maternal Mortality

• 99% of maternal deaths occur in global South (Freedman 2003)

• In S-SA, lifetime risk of dying in pregnancy is 1 in 16 (Panos 2005)

• Children 3-10 times more likely to die within two years of mother’s death (Fraser 2005)

• Maternal mortality rates – UK: 8 deaths per 100,000 live births

– Malawi: 1,140 deaths per 100,000 live births (Guardian 2010)

Weaknesses

• MDGs = “Major Distraction Gimmick” (Antrobus, 2005)

• MDGs don’t capture the reality of poverty as experienced by women

• MDGs neglect Human Rights Framework of CEDAW (‘79), Cairo (‘94) and Beijing (‘95)

• MDGs technical tool for a political problem

• MDGs serve the neo-liberal agenda

Way Forward

• Rights-based approach to MDGs

• Empowerment of grassroots women

• Tackle gender inequality (rather than just adding women)

Further Reading: Monitoring the MDGs

• UN Women: http://www.unifem.org/gender_issues/millennium_development_goals/

• The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/millennium-development-goals

• Buvinic, M., Morrison, A.R., Sjoblom, M. and A. Waafas Ofosu-Amaah (2008) Equality for Women: Where Do We Stand on Millennium Goal 3? World Bank, available at http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTGENDER/Resources/EqualityforWomenfinal.pdf

Further Reading: Critical Perspectives and Debates

• Barton, Carol and Laurie Prendergast (eds) (2005) Seeking accountability on women's human rights: Women debate the Millennium Development Goals, New York: Women's International Coalition for Social Justice.

• Subrahmanian, R. (2004) ‘Promoting gender equality’ in R. Black and H. White (eds.) Targeting Development. Critical Perspectives on the Millennium Development Goals

• Sweetman, C. (2005) Gender and the Millennium Development Goals