tourism as an opportunity - fiiapp€¦ · tourism as an opportunity good practices in sustainable...

Tourism

as an Opportunity

Good Practices

in Sustainable Tourism

from a Gender Perspective

Case Studies from Bolivia, Nicaragua, The Gambia, Morocco and Senegal

The project “VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM”is intended to design, elaborate, diffuse and exchange vocational train-ing and raising awareness instruments in the field of sustainable tourismspecifically adapted to Gambia, Morocco, Senegal, Bolivia andNicaragua, particularly emphasizing the empowerment of women andtheir access and promotion to decent and stable work.

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Set up in 1997, the Fundación Internacional y para Iberoamérica de Admin-istración y Políticas Públicas (FIIAPP – International and Ibero AmericanFoundation for Administration and Public Policies) is a public institution atthe service of State foreign action in the field of international cooperation fordevelopment. The foundation promotes democratic governance and socialcohesion through institutional strengthening and skills development in orderto promote public leadership.

This project is financed by the European Union

Co-funded by

Tourism as anOpportunity

Good Practices



Case Studies from Bolivia, Nicaragua,The Gambia, Morocco and Senegal

Daniela Moreno Alarcón Lucy J. Ferguson

06 FIAPP turismo ingles.qxp 2/1/12 09:53 Página 1

© International and Ibero American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP), Spain, 2011.

© FIIAPP team: Daniela Moreno Alarcón and Lucy J. Ferguson

© The images included in this publication have been provided by the partners of the VTST project.

• Bolivia: Mancomunidad de Municipios Chiquitanos

• The Gambia: Association of Small Scale Enterprises in Tourism (ASSET)

• Nicaragua: Nicaraguan Institute for Tourism (INTUR), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua-León

• Morocco: Rif Association for the Development of Rural Tourism

• Senegal: National Organisation for the integration in Senegalese Tourism (ONITS).

Coordinators:Verónica Souto Martínez and Carolina Díaz (FIIAPP)

Publishing Services provided by Cyan, Proyectos Editoriales, S.A.

Translators:The Language Corner Ltd and Ruya Leghari

Printed in Spain

http://www.vtsustainabletourism.org

International and Ibero American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP), as a member of

the Consortium and granted the ¨Vocational Training and Sustainable Tourism¨ project (Ref. European

Commission: DCIEDUC/2009/211-877), participates in the rights for the non-profit use, circulation and repro-

duction, partial or total, of the materials produced by its team in the framework of the mentioned project.

The ¨Vocational Training and Sustainable Tourism¨ (VTST) project is co-financed with funds from the European

Commission, via the Investing in People programme. Education, Knowledge and Skills:Towards Demand Driven

Learning Systems,Technical and Professional Training.

This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. Its contents are the exclusive

responsibility of the project and under no circumstances must it be considered to reflect the point of view

of the European Union.


Índex

Prologue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Introduction and methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112. Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Key concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193. Key concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

3.1. Gender, Sex and Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213.1.1. Is “gender” the same as “sex”? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223.1.2. Is “gender” the same as “women”? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243.1.3. Gender Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253.1.4. Practical and Strategic Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

3.2.Vocational Training and Decent Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283.3. Sustainable Tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Good Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354. Presentation of Good Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Bolivia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Nicaragua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Morocco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54The Gambia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Senegal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Recommendations for Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 695. Recommendations for Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

6. Recommended thematic bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77


5

Prologue

Sustainable tourism is often seen as endowed with the necessary potential to achievegender equality and the empowerment of women. However, much work remains to bedone to guarantee this.This assertion could be a by-product of the lack of consensusthat currently exists on what it means to plan and manage tourism in a sustainable man-ner, the insufficient documentation on the importance of incorporating a gender per-spective into the planning and management of sustainable tourism, and the myths andprejudices surrounding gender-related work.

Consequently, numerous institutions are currently concerned with inequality and sus-tainable and responsible tourism development.They are now beginning to join forcesto construct an agenda which draws together the topics of tourism, sustainability andgender, and which features concrete intervention policies related to this issue. In orderfor this agenda to become a reality, among other things, it is necessary to undertakeaction that support the notion that sustainable tourism is an opportune area for achiev-ing gender equality and women’s empowerment.

The first step in this endeavour would be to change the way in which a tourism initia-tive is organised1, particularly when its objective is to reduce poverty of the economi-cally disadvantaged countries1. This would entail outlining project models with the fol-lowing characteristics:

• those selected, designed and built by locals, contextualised within the geographicaland historical context in which they are conceived, and which allow sufficient time forprocesses of information sharing, debate, evaluation and decision-making by directlyaffected groups of the population;

• those in which tourism is a complementary activity, and not one that substitutes exis-ting sources of income.These should seek to foster diversification of local economiesand increase employment;

• those designed under integral development paradigms which include approaches, inadditional to an economic strategy, concerned with environmental preservation,improving local infrastructure, training the population, and strengthening social organ-isations and their impact on political decision making spaces;

• those managed and controlled by locals and which increase internal spaces of partici-pation and joint collective decision-making (by women, men, young persons). Theseshould be coordinated with other groups of interest, aspire to control the value chain

1.Tourism intervention is materialised in tourism projects or programmes.2. Responsible Tourism Forum: http://www.foroturismoresponsable.org/(in Spanish)


Prologue

6

Tourism as an Opportunity

of the tourism activity, and prompt, as far as possible, the creation and consumption oftourism services.

To begin a process of incorporating a gender perspective as an analytical framework forthe sustainable development of tourism, it is highly important to take into considerationthe following issues. It is not possible to speak of the sustainability of tourism, nor of anyproductive activity, if the category of gender is not incorporated in an effective manner3.

¿Why is a gender perspective important for the sustainabledevelopment of tourism?

• It combines the three fundamental components necessary for achieving intergen-erational sustainability: environmental protection, social and gender equality andnon-discrimination against women.

• It is capable of transforming the power relations which contribute to inequalityin terms of the use and control of, and access to,natural and cultural resources.

• It promotes the participation of women in decisions related to natural resources,the environment and the tourism model to be followed.

• It contributes to the generation of decent work, free from exploitation.• It promotes more inclusive and critical training with regard to the dominant

development model.• It recognises the importance of domestic and reproductive work caregiving.

Many activities in the tourism sector, the majority of which are performed bywomen and girls, are viewed as an extension of domestic labour and, as such, arenot highly valued.

• It enhances the relationship between tourism, sustainability and equitable humandevelopment.

• It enables working from a more realistic and less biased perspective when iden-tifying causes of gender inequality and discrimination against women and girls.

• It promotes a ‘process’ rather than a ‘project’ approach, moving away from dead-line based activities to a more long-term strategy .

• It allows for the institutional frameworks of tourism to gradually integrate indica-tors which identify bad practices in the dominant development model.

• It facilitates the participation of women in tourism programmes where achievinglandownership plays a key role.

• It promotes co-responsibility, the right to care and the full exercise of citizenshipfor all.

3. Cooperative Development Initiatives, CDI (2010):Work notes on development. Sustainable tourism inSanto Antão, an alternative to the conventional model of tourism investment in Cape Verde, Madrid.


Prologue

7


The gender perspective offers a wide range of conceptual and methodological tools forthe development and implementation of policies geared towards the sustainable devel-opment of tourism. It particularly invites us to analyse how women and men contributeto, engage with, and are affected by, tourism development, both individually and collec-tively.

Gender sensitive methods of analysis should not only involve describing inequalities, butshould also involve working with, and on behalf of, all peoples, understanding the prob-lems which affect women and men, and both challenging and transforming unequalpower relations.

As such, it is essential to integrate a gender perspective into sustainable tourism devel-opment in order to ensure equal levels of socio-economic benefits that generate meas-urable, concrete change in terms of gender equality and women’s empowerment.


Introduction and methodology


11

1. Introduction

The Vocational Training and Sustainable Tourism project, financed by the EuropeanCommission, is carried out within the framework of the thematic programme “Investingin People”, which adopts the broad approach towards development and poverty reduc-tion. It fundamentally aims to improve the levels of human and social development inselected countries, in line with the United Nations Millennium Declaration and theMillennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The overall objective of the Vocational Training and Sustainable Tourism project is to con-tribute to capacity building and increasing the access of all persons to decent and sta-ble work in African and Latin American states through the Technical and VocationalEducation and Training (TVET) programmes, adapted to demand, inclusive, employing agender perspective, and applicable to different countries.

The project has been implemented by a consortium of eleven institutions and non-gov-ernmental organizations from Africa, Latin America, and Spain:

• International and Ibero American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies(FIIAPP)

• The Banesto Cultural Foundation• Carlos III University of Madrid (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid)• Organisation of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI)• The National Training Authority - NTA (Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Techno-

logy) of The Gambia• The Association of Small Scale Enterprises in Tourism (ASSET) of The Gambia.• Rif Association for the Development of Rural Tourism (Riftourisme, Morocco)• National Organisation for the integration in Senegalese Tourism (ONITS)• The Association of Chiquitanos Municipalities (Mancomunidad de Municipios Chiquitanos,

Bolivia)• The Nicaraguan Institute for Tourism (INTUR)• The National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (Universidad Nacional Autónoma

de Nicaragua, UNAN-León)

Three working groups were established in the course of the project, composed ofmembers of the consortium, according to the competencies and expertise of each:

Group 1: “Working in Networks” - led by the Banesto Cultural FoundationGroup 2: “Vocational Training” - led by the Carlos III University of MadridGroup 3: “Women,Training and Tourism” - led by FIIAPP


Raising awareness and promoting gender equality through women’s empowerment, aswell as promoting the principles and practices of sustainable tourism, constitutes theprincipal pillar of action of Group 3 “Women, education and tourism”.

The present document has the following objectives:

• Overall objective: showcase a selection of good practices related to sustainabletourism development as an appropriate field for the advancement of equal opportu-nities, gender equality and women’s empowerment.

• Specific objectives1. Explain key concepts related to vocational training, decent work, sustainable

tourism and gender, so as to enable greater understanding of the selected goodpractices.

2. Identify and disseminate good practices in sustainable tourism development whichincorporate gender-sensitive elements.

3. Propose recommendations for action to facilitate the integration of a gender per-spective into sustainable tourism.

• Group aims: social entities involved in the project, the non-profit sector (the socialeconomy), teachers and students of tourism and sustainable tourism, and both publicand private entities linked to tourism and/or gender.

In general, a good practice is an initiative which has produced results, either in plannedor spontaneous fashion, and which is considered a satisfactory mark of reference forthe generation of positive results in the field in question.

Bearing in mind the context, objectives and results of the project, a good practice (GP)is considered one which:

• Has tackled and reduced the inequalities which affect women in training and employment,• Has promoted access to decent work, and fostered equal opportunities, gender

equality and women’s empowerment in the field of sustainable tourism.• Has increased the participation of women while instigating positive change in terms

of their access to vocational training and/or decent work, valuing those which pro-mote women’s access to, and occupation of, technical, managerial or administrativepositions.


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13

2. Methodology

Firstly, a methodology tailored to the project was designed to identify two good prac-tices for each participating country: Bolivia, Nicaragua, The Gambia, Morocco andSenegal. Thereafter, the following stakeholders were responsible for implementing thismethodology for the identification of the featured good practices:

• The Association of Small Scale Enterprises in Tourism (ASSET)• The National Training Authority - NTA (Gambia)• Rif Association for the Development of Rural Tourism (Riftourisme, Morocco)• National Organisation for the integration in Senegalese Tourism (ONITS)• The Association of Chiquitanos Municipalities (Mancomunidad de Municipios Chiqui-

tanos, Bolivia)• The Nicaraguan Institute for Tourism (INTUR)• The National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (Universidad Nacional Autónoma

de Nicaragua, UNAN-León)

Thereafter, the coordination and monitoring involved in this process of identificationwas conducted with the support of the “Professional Training and Sustainable Tourism”project’s Intranet, and other virtual tools such as Skype, chat, etc.

The methods of identifying the two GPs involved three phases:

• Phase I: assessing the knowledge of gender themes of the entities participating in theproject.

• Phase II: phase of the identification of the GP.• Phase III: second phase of the identification of the GP.

Phase I: Measuringthe degree of knowledge of gender issues of theproject’s member entities

This exercise, a continuation of the work carried out by Group 3, was focused onanalysing the level of knowledge of gender issues of the project’s member entities.Thisanalysis was based on the reports and activities undertaken during the implementationof the coordinated actions of Groups 1 and 2.

The exercise considered open questions and two practical cases related to women’saccess to decision-making spaces. Both cases considered three questions with regardsto how to address each situation.



14


Phase II: First phase of the identification of the good practices (GPs)

Following analysis of the information obtained in Phase 1, Phase 2 aimed to identify fourGPs from each of the member countries, or from their surrounding regions.The tool usedin this phase consisted of a single questionnaire with twelve open-ended questions, whichwere developed using three criteria of reference. The member entities were responsiblefor identifying the GPs, as well as for completing the questionnaire for each of them.

In order for the members to employ the questionnaire in a satisfactory manner, the follow-ing information was provided:

• a model of a GP in sustainable tourism and gender4,• guidelines by which to follow the methodology of identifying the GPs,• the type of initiative to be evaluated with the given methodology and • three key criteria for identifying GPs:

1. Equal opportunities for women and men, and the participation of women.2. Promotion of decent work and training for both women and men3.Women’s empowerment and the promotion of gender equality.

It was also emphasised that, in order for an initiative to be considered a GP in the frame-work of the project, it was not necessary to entirely fulfil all the aforementioned criteria.The following table indicates the key criteria for identifying GPs:

1. Equal opportunities between women and men and the active participation of women in

the initiative

Identify, consult with and include relevant groups of women and men who are par-ticipating in the initiative.

Implement tools that promote and ensure the collection of information on theneeds, interests and priorities of women and men.

Strike a balance between the number of women and men participating in the ini-tiative, as well as in terms of the hours dedicated to decision-making.

4. Until today, there has not been a consensus on what it means and implies to work on a global level withinthe framework of tourism and gender, nor what a good practice in this issue involves. As such, the modelintroduced is what the authors of this guide understand, from a subjective viewpoint, to be a GP in tourismand gender.



15


2. Promoting decent work and training for both women and men in the initiative

Include training for women and allow for the consolidation of the skills and know-ledge.

Identify training needs and methods for both women and men.

Undertake training which will ensure access to decent work for women.

Promote work that breaks with the roles and stereotypes traditionally attributedto women and men.

3. Women’s empowerment and the promotion of gender equality in the initiative

Promote interest in, and sensitivity to, gender issues in the initiative.

Encourage the presence and influence of women in public spaces related to boththe initiative and the community.

Promote the sharing of tasks and responsibilities between men and women in thepublic and domestic spheres.

Promote greater equality between women and men.



16


Phase III:Second phase of the identification of good practices (GPs)

Based on the information obtained in Phase II, and once the two GPs that best fulfil thethree established criteria had been selected from each country, each member entitywas given a series of specific questions for each initiative in this phase, evaluating if theinformation provided in the previous phases left relevant questions unanswered or onlypartially completed.The members were further asked to explain the overall context ofthe situation in which each of the GPs is based, respecting different points of viewand the importance allotted to each epigraph.This phase of the methodology consid-ered open-ended questions, tools and gender analysis methods that are more inclusive,such as the identification and analysis of control over, and access to, resources, as wellas time management of women and men.

During the entire process of identification, the project’s members initiated dialogue ongender-related questions. During the various meetings held via an online platform, aswell as in a workshop held during one of the regional meetings in Nicaragua as part ofthe project, the members were introduced to, and made aware of, gender issues.

The process of identifying the GPs implied great responsibility on the behalf of themember entities, as well as immense coordination and teamwork to identify them.

Limitations and weaknesses in the methodology

To ensure a better understanding of the document and the methodology used, it is alsonecessary to acknowledge limitations and weaknesses. In so doing, the assertions, propos-als, and suggestions, etc., contained throughout the document may be interpreted in suit-able manner by its readers, while illuminating the conditions within which the present doc-ument wasformulated.

These following limitations and weaknesses affected the methodology employed to iden-tify the GPs:

• In each member country (with the exception of Spain), the analysis conducted at thestart of the project on vocational training and sustainable tourism did not considerthe gender component in the strictest sense; rather, the situation of women in eachcountry was presented from a general and institutional perspective, without goingin-depth in terms of any concrete aspect. Nor was data that would have helped build abetter understanding of this topic’s context provided.

• In spite of the member entities experience in sustainable tourism and developmentcooperation, they were not familiar with gender-related work; they were not trained inthis issue and thus most, except in Bolivia and in The Gambia5, did not have personneltrained in this issue.

5.The Gambia hired a gender expert to carry out Phase III of the methodology. Bolivia employed an expertin gender to carry out the entire process of identification of the GPs.



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• The previous phases of the project did not anticipate specific and persistent action rela-ted to gender.These actions were, rather, particular and small-scale proposals of a shortduration.

• There was neither enough time, or resources, to carry out an identification processconscious of gender that involved a level of participatory local involvement with thepotential to discern more specific information related to gender, sustainable tourismand vocational training of each initiative’s particular context.

• The methodology is marked by a “lack of participation” prompted by the former point.This originated in the difficulty of articulating key concepts intrinsic to participation: toform part of the process and to be able to exercise influence.As such, it was setting upa participatory methodology was a complex task, given the lack of adequate resourcesor time needed to acquaint each member entity with the importance of integrating agender perspective for the sustainable development of tourism.


Key concepts


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3. Key concepts

The objective of this chapter is to explain key concepts so as to improve the under-standing of the topics explored in this document: the gender perspective, professionaltraining and decent work, and sustainable tourism.

3.1. Gender, Sex and Women

We consider that certain confusion over the true significance and scope of theterm ‘gender’ still exists today.This often provokes situations in which the prior con-ditions required to approach this issue with sustainable results are not taken intoaccount.

The advancement of women and the achievement of equality between women andmen are a matter of human rights and a condition for social justice and should notbe seen in isolation as a women’s issue.They are the only way to build a sustainable,just and developed society. Empowerment of women and equality between womenand men are prerequisites for achieving political, social, economic, cultural andenvironmental security among all peoples.

Beijing Platform for Action,The United NationsFourth World Conference on Women

Beijing 1995, Statement 41

The personal and political commitment to the gender issue is a good point at which toinitiate a process which goes further than that which has been socially established. Assuch, it is typically necessary to undo that which has been learnt and start again fromthe beginning.

It is important to understand that one of the positive impacts of “gender” is that it makesvisible, and raises awareness of, androcentrism6 i.e. the dominant patriarchal model. Due tothis awareness-raising it is possible to instigate a process that allows, among other things,one to:

“

”

6. Androcentrism uses only the vision, needs, priorities and status of men as a point of reference.This visiontriggers off negative impacts in women and men.


Key concepts

22


• understand the causes of gender inequality and discrimination towards women,• understand the reasons why many women have remained on the margins and/or invisi-

ble in the historical and fundamental processes of social development,• gain more knowledge of, and improve, the situation of women, and• accept, see and understand the world from the perspective of women.

Perhaps the most common kind of confusion regarding the components of the term ‘gen-der’ involves the meaning of equality and equity, and the differences between them.Genderequality is a fundamental concept in human rights, as it champions the elimination of gen-der inequalities and discrimination against women and girls, and as such, transforms unequalpower relationships. By contrast, gender equity is not a concept promoted by human rightsbecause it does not necessarily imply the elimination of gender inequalities and discrimi-nation against women and girls; rather, it refers to what each person, based on his/herown subjective point of view, considers to be more or less to be fair for women and girls.

¿Equality or equity?

Currently, the majority of the people agree that it is not right that only women takecare of, and are involved in, domestic and reproductive work. If we devise a solu-tion for this issue from an equity perspective, then proposing that women be paida fair salary would suffice7. However, if we want to provide a solution from the pointof view of equality, we would have to carry out an analysis of the lives of thesefemale workers with regard to their environment: the time management of thesefemale workers and of others (partners, children etc.), the discrimination thesewomen face due to the sparse social value of domestic and reproductive work, thesocial capital that surrounds the lives of these women, the subordinate relationshipthat some of them have with their partners, etc. By analysing all these components,it is clear that the solution from the perspective of equality would be the necessi-ty of sharing domestic and reproductive work between women and men, and thatthis sharing is not undertaken based on biological sex8.

There are two other situations which also commonly provoke confusion over “gender”:that “gender” is equivalent to “sex” and that “gender” is the same “women”.

3.1.1 Is “gender” the same as “sex”?

Throughout the world, biological characteristics, generally the genitals, have been thepoint of reference for determining what it signifies and implies to be a woman or a man.

7. An example of this is Convention 189 and Recommendation 201 (ILO) on female workers and domesticworkers. Both the convention and the recommendation have been carried out within the action frameworkfor decent work.8. AldaFacio, Notaspara la Igualdad (Notes for Equality) no. 1, see: http://www.americalatinagenera.org/es/documentos/centro_gobierno/FACT-SHEET-1-DQEH2707.pdf (in Spanish)


Key concepts

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However, such characteristics actually merely determine the condition of being female ormale.While there are evident biological differences between women and men, these dif-ferences should not generate gender inequalities and/or discrimination against women.

The concept of “gender” as defined by INSTRAW is as follows9:

Gender

Gender refers to the array of socially constructed roles and relationships, personal-ity traits, attitudes, behaviours, values, relative power and influence that societyascribes to the two sexes on a differential basis. Whereas biological sex is deter-mined by genetic and anatomical characteristics, gender is an acquired identity thatis learned, changes over time, and varies widely within and across cultures. Genderis relational and refers not simply to women or men but to the relationship betweenthem.

The definition of women and men based on biological sex has determined, amongother things, the different spheres attributed to each: the public, private and domestic.These spheres are defined as follows:

1. Public space: traditionally, this space has been occupied by men and it is related tothe participation outside of the home, the productive area, money, culture, socialrecognition and positioning. As such, the public space is a means that allows one tobe recognised and to make decisions.

2. Public sphere: Traditionally, men have had control over this sphere, which is relatedto participation outside the home, to production, money, and culture, as well asrecognition and social standing.As such, the public sphere is an area in which individ-uals are afforded recognition and the ability to take decisions.

3. Domestic sphere: The domestic sphere is associated with care, nature and morality.It has traditionally been associated with women, and constitutes the space in whichreproductive activity and domestic work is carried out. Although this sphere is linkedto the creation of life, nurturing, and the transmission of values, i.e. it is the spacewhere the “human resources” of the dominant system are cared for and formed,these attributes are neither valued nor visible.The private sphere refers to the use,management and enjoyment of private space. It is occasionally equated with thedomestic sphere, which obscures the recognition of the importance of domesticwork for human development, as well as for the sustainability of the dominant finan-cial and economic system.

Why is it important to understand that “gender” is not the same as “sex”?

• It enriches the studies and understanding of human beings.

9. INSTRAW, Glossary, Institute for Research and Training for the Advancement of Women.


Key concepts

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• It makes visible the link between the high value historically allotted to the biologicalattributes of men, and the poverty and discrimination which has been the lot ofwomen.

• It “de-naturalizes” much of the gender inequality and violence against women, whichare justified on the basis of sex and culture.

• It works in favour of not associating certain spheres with biological sex, as is the casein androcentric perceptions.

3.1.2. Is “gender” the same as “women”?

The incorporation of gender as a category for analysis, i.e. a gender perspective, is cer-tainly a consequence of the enduring fight that many women have taken part in all overthe world.This is logical, given that women have been most affected by gender inequal-ities and discrimination. In spite of this, the concept of ‘gender’ is not equivalent to thatof “women”.

The aim of a gender perspective is to study the interrelation between women and mensince it is only in this way that power relationships could possibly be transformed, andthe gender gap reduced. Similarly, a gender perspective allows one to identify the caus-es, mostly internal, of discrimination and inequality, and make women’s contributionssustainable so as to improve their living conditions, as well asthose of allthe people intheir lives.

When spearheading a development initiative that seeksto integrate a gender perspec-tive, one would generally allot preferential attention to women.This is because womenare in an unfavourable position with regards to men, a product of the dominant andro-centric vision.

Due to this initial inequality, it is sometimes considered necessary to carry out positiveactions:

[…] directed towards the disadvantaged group, generally women, in areas wherethe gender gap is particularly severe, such as in education and training, access tocredit, or those where they naturally concern women in particular10.

It is sufficient to emphasize that the undertaking of positive actions does not justify thenon-existence of specific actions related to gender. Both actions should be undertakensimultaneously.

“

10. Definition given by the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on integration in thecooperation of the development of aspects relative to the socio-cultural differences between the sexes.

”


Key concepts

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3.1.3. Gender Roles

Gender roles refer to behaviours which are considered feminine and masculine, andwhich are related to the spheres previously mentioned: the public, the domestic and theprivate.This relationship is assuredly due to the fact that gender roles (i.e. the behaviourthat women and men learnt in order to be identified in their environments as such)determine the privileges and responsibilities linked to the characteristics that are attrib-uted to each sphere: public, private and domestic.

Gender roles are manifested daily and determine degrees of participation, deprivation,and responsibility, as well as the attitudes, that women and men have in distinct situa-tions, such asin the professional world, at work or when dealing with maternity andpaternity. As such, gender roles prompt the sexual division of labour which, amongother things, determines the role and tasks of women and men.

Sexual division of labour

A concept used to define the roles and tasks attributed to women and men, andwhich are based on gender rolesrather than on the skills and aptitude of each indi-vidual11.

Below, the different gender roles are explained in greater detail: reproductive, produc-tive and communal roles, as defined by Clara Murguialday12:

1. Re-productive roles of women: this refers not only to the activities linked to biologicalreproduction (giving birth and raising children) or to the daily maintenance of the workforce (preparing of meals, collecting water and gathering firewood, cleaning living spacesand maintaining them in a habitable conditions, water supply, providing care and emo-tional attention to the members of the family), but also to activities involved in thereproduction of the social order (socialisation with children, maintenance of family net-works and mutual support groups, transmission of cultural assets).

2. Productive roles of women: this concerns their character as generators of secondaryincome. Although many women are occupied in the formal sector of the economy,many more work within the family in unpaid agricultural labour considered to be a sub-sidiary, while others work for companies in the informal sector, eitherfrom home or inurban neighbourhoods. Others still are part of the service industry, especially by per-forming paid domestic work.

3. Communal management roles of women: this takes the form of organising socialevents, ceremonies and celebrations, actions aimed at obtaining basic services for thewell-being of their families and communities, the maintenance of communal social net-works, and participation in local political activities. All this determines the level of social

11. Cuestiones Esenciales sobre el género. Conceptos básicos. (Essential Question son Gender. Basic Concepts.)N°1.Ed. Acsur-Las Segovias. Barcelona.12. Diccionario de Acción Humanitaria y Cooperación al Desarrollo (Humanitarian Action and DevelopmentCooperation Dictionary) http://www.dicc.hegoa.ehu.es/listar/mostrar/115 (in Spanish)


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value that families have. Furthermore, given that state provisions are increasingly inade-quate in terms of living spaces and basic services, women with low incomes take on theresponsibility of forming local organisations to fight for basic services and the rural envi-ronment.The time dedicated to these activities is neither quantified nor paid, and rarelyare these women recognized, nor does their prestige and level of influence increase inthe community because of these contributions or achievements.

The sexual division of labour is a fundamental category of analysis in a gender perspec-tive because it not only allows one to identify and analyse gender roles, but alsoenables one to identify and analyse the access to (use of resources), and control over(decision-making with regard to the resource) of resources, as well as the time man-agement of women and men.

3.1.4 Gender needs: practical and strategic needs

If oIf one were to identify and analyse the needs/interests of gender in a particular con-text, the information obtained would be heterogeneous with regards to:

• the types of needs/interests,• the priorities for action, and• how one acts to cover the same or different needs/interests.

This is due to the fact that the obligations, benefits, privileges and responsibilities attrib-uted by gender roles do not affect the lives of women and men in the same way.

To describe and study gender needs implies working with information about “womenversus men”, as well as with information that uses groups of women and men as pointsof reference in a differentiated manner. One must also take into account that this in-formation will be influenced by diverse factors such as age, ethnicity, race and socialclass.The explanation provided by Ana Alcalde González and Irene López Méndez13 onthe two types of gender needs, practical and strategic, is presented below.

• Practical needs: these seek to improve the quality of life and respond to the basicneeds of people. Practical needs tend to be those that women and men experiencein their socially-assigned roles, and which are consequences of their daily responsibi-lities.

• Strategic needs or strategic interests: these refer to questions of gender equality ina particular society and which attempts to bring about the equitable distribution ofresources between women and men. Strategic needs imply a demand in favour of theequitable redistribution of roles, responsibilities and power between women andmen.

13.Alcalde González Ana and López Méndez Irene (2004): Guía práctica para la integración de la igualdad entremujeres y hombres en los proyectos de la Cooperación Española, (Practical Guide for the Integration of Equalitybetween Women and Men in the Projects of the Spanish Cooperation), Ministry of External Affairs. Secretaryof State for International and Ibero-American Cooperation, Madrid.


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It is important to clarify that both needs are complementary.If one were to focus onpractical needs with a gender perspective, one would necessarily manage spaces andpolicies that deal with the strategic needs of women and men. For example, launchingdifferent kinds of training responsive to gender, and which aim to improve the qualityof women’s participation.

Quality of participation

This refers,firstly, to the level of participation of women and men in an action and,secondly, to thedegree to which such participation offers opportunities that canlead to women’s empowerment and more equitable relationships between womenand men14.

Although the results of strategic needs are long-term ones, this does not suggest thatthese should be considered as separate, and/or only be taken into account at the endof a particular intervention. On the contrary, actions that imply a revision of genderroles should be considered from the beginning in the planning and management of anysustainable development initiative.

Working with an awareness of gender issues to for the purposes of impacting strategicneeds, brings us closer to the concept of empowerment.This is defined as follows:

Empowerment

An awareness of the rights and power that one possesses individually and collec-tively, an increase in skills, recognition of one’s own value, the recuperation of one’sown dignity as a person, the improvement of one’s own image, the beliefs aboutone’s rights and skills, and challenging feelings of inferiority15.

Empowerment allows people to fight against the causes of poverty.This implies beingaware of one’s own skills so as to impact diverse factors of influence (political, econo-mic, environmental, social and cultural) which determine the wealth and poverty of peo-ple. Recognizing that the factors of influence are conditioned by power relationships, itis unlikely that people can be empowered if one does not understand the structure ofthese relationships, and therefore poverty cannot be reduced in a sustainable manner.

Based on the idea that in order to empower people and thereby reduce poverty, a gen-der perspective must be integrated, the three fundamental areas of empowerment maybe defined as follows:

14. See National Women’s Service, Chile: http://www.goremaule.cl/publicar/genero/EVALUACION%20DEL%20IMPACTO%20EN%20FUNCION%20DEL%20GENERO.pdf (in Spanish)15. Fernández - Layos Ana Lydia (2008): Identificación de acciones de cooperación al desarrollo desde el enfoquede género, Paz y Desarrollo. (Identification of Cooperation Development Actions with a Gender Focus, Peaceand Development).


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• Social empowerment: centres on the following questions:What do women and menwant, individually and collectively? What do women and men not want, individuallyand collectively? What do women and menpossess, individually and collectively? Whatdo women and men not possess, individually and collectively? To realize this kind ofempowerment, it is necessary to enrich the social fabric and self-recognition, createorganisations, strengthen social and institutional management in a participative man-ner, and diffuse cultural values based on a feminine and masculine vision.

• Political empowerment: centres on the following questions: How can democracy beadvanced? How, where and when can one promote dialogue and have an influenceon decisions related to the community? How can leaders be trained? For this, it is nec-essary, in general, to gather information that reveals the causes of the problems andadvantages that affect society, as, and thereafter to foster debate about power, de-mocracy and participation, while supporting, legitimising and institutionalising spacesthat promote the quality of participation.

• Economic empowerment: is based on the premise that economic growth is notequivalent to economic development.In general, economic growth may be seen asconceived in market and quantitative terms, and more concentrated on the exchan-ge of goods and services, as well as on the information provided by the Gross Do-mestic Product (GDP).By contrast, economic empowerment uses measuring toolsthat are more qualitative, human and realistic in terms of social, environmental andeconomic contexts (including that of the domestic economy), such as the HumanDevelopment Index and the Gender-related Development Index,both developed byUNDP.Essentially, economic empowerment shows that women and men shoulddevelop skills and organise themselves to: impact the decisions that affect their qual-ity of life, embark on participative processes that are more efficient and effective,achieve a state of greater well-being, extend the use of gender-responsive budgetswith a positive impact on the quality of life of women and men, and increase decentwork and quality education.

3.2 Vocational Training and Decent Work

Decent work is directly related to human dignity. In fact, some experts assert that itwould be better to use the concept of dignified work, since this is how work conditionsare exhibited16.

In order to address the link between decent work and human dignity, it is important tohighlight that the concept of decent work evolved over time, and that it is still one stillin the process of developing.The elements, drawn from diverse discussions, which haveformed part of the evolution of the concept of decent work are as follows17:

16. See Decent Work (Dignified) and Vocational Training: http://www.oei.es/etp/trabajo_decente_formacion_profesional_ferrer.pdf (in Spanish)17. See Ermida Uriarte Óscar : Trabajo decente formación profesional (Decent Work Vocational Training):http://www.oei.es/etp/trabajo_decente_formacion_profesional_ermida.pdf (in Spanish)


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Evolution of the concept of decent work

International Work • Productive work.Conference, • Protection of rights.1999 (preliminary • Adequate income.notion • Equity.

• Social protection.• Tripartism.• Social dialogue.

Preliminary notion • Quality employment.and strategic objectives • Respect of worker’s rights determined by the (fundamental human rights)International Labour • Social protection.Organisation’s (ILO) • No mention of adequate income,programme for social dialogue and tripartism.2000-2001Reference document • Adequate conditions and social protection.presented by CINTER • Respect of fundamental rights.FOR/ILO at the • Possibility of developing social dialogue which becomes a 35th Meeting of the permanent instrument of strength and a place to develop Technical Committee workers skills.(2001)

It was in 2001 that the importance of vocational training for promoting and drivingprocesses that advance decent work as “a place for developing skills” was explicitlyrecognised.

Vocational training is an educational activity that possesses theoretical and practicalcomponents and generally emphasises technical and methodological aspects18. It con-centrates on coherently linking the contents with the methods, with the aim of adapt-ing them to the labour and social contexts of each country. According the InternationalLabour Organisation’s (ILO) definition of 1975:

…the qualification of the terms guidance and training by the term vocationalmeans that guidance and training are directed to identifying and developing humancapabilities for a productive and satisfying working life and, in conjunction with thedifferent forms of education, to improve the ability of the individual to understandand, individually or collectively, to influence working conditions and the socialenvironment.

Recommendation 150, ILO, 1975

18. In some countries, vocational training is known as training or professional training.

“

”


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More recently, the ILO’s International Labour Conference was concerned with review-ing the international rules related to vocational training. In its Resolution on the Trainingand Development of Human Resources of June 2000, among other points, the follow-ing points were made19:

• not only do people and companies benefit from training, but so do the economy andsociety at large,

• training highlights the fundamental values of equity, justice, equal treatment betweenmen and women, non-discrimination, social responsibility and social participation,

• training (coupled with education) is a part of an economic and social response toglobalisation,

• training (like education) does not on its own resolve the problem of employment, butit does contribute to improving the employability of persons in certain rapidly evolv-ing internal and external markets,

• vocational training has to be integrated into, and linked with, policies related to theeconomy, employment and others, and

• education and training constitutes a right for all.

As such, vocational training is currently considered a fundamental right and an econom-ic instrument20:

• Fundamental right: because it encompasses in itself, other rights which should berespected in all decent work.At the same time, it is also an instrument that facilitates,and at times conditions, the realisation of other rights that constitute decent work.

• Economic instrument: because the link between vocational training and economicgrowth is associated with the level of training individuals possess.Those with moretraining improvethe comparative and competitive characteristics of a country’s labourand human resources.

Gender equality has been an important and welcome topic to help build the conceptof decent work, widening the scope of the action framework, and increasing the bene-fits that decent work and vocational training bring to people. Given this importance, thethree principal reasons that the Inter-American Centre for Knowledge Developmentin Vocational Training (ILO/CINTERFOR) promotes work on vocational training anddecent work from a gender perspective are as follows:

• It enables double and simultaneous opportunities with the working world and withthe individuals being trained, which is among the basic conditions necessary forimproving quality and equity in the training supply.

• It places focus on the learning subject (the individual receiving training), and helps oneto understand them as an integrated being who not only draws together knowledge

19. For more information on this resolution see: http://temp.oitcinterfor.org/public/spanish/region/ampro/cinterfor/publ/sind_for/casanov/pdf/quees.pdf (in Spanish)20. See Ermida Uriarte Óscar : Trabajo decente formación profesional (Decent Work Vocational Training):http://www.oei.es/etp/trabajo_decente_formacion_profesional_ermida.pdf (in Spanish)


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and skills but also attitudes, emotions, gender conditioning, family and communal histo-ry. It is in this context that the subject should construct his/her training project andemployment. This focus on the subject provides the training operation with a widescope for intervention.

• As is the case in other social institutions and policies, training reproduces the clas-sification criteria and hierarchy that are already in place in society.The context con-ditions and determines these, so long they respond to the paradigm of dominanteconomic and social development and thus to reproduces values, norms and bias-es that exist in the society in question, including ideas and concepts concerned withthe feminine and masculine. However, the possibility also exists to intervene andmodify them.Vocational training with a gender perspective, since it recognises andreveals that these characteristics (which are supposedly fixed and set in stone) areculturally assigned, contributes substantially to their transformation.

Vocational training policies are not far removed from the domestic, productive andprivate spheres, since both their formulation and implementation reproduce thevery values, norms and differences of the society in which they are created. Vo-cational training and patterns of occupational segmentation are strongly linked.Professional segmentation begins before incorporation into the labour market, so itis conditioned by the gender roles transmitted in the domestic and public spheres,reaffirmed in schools and crystallised in the professional options traditionallyassigned to women and men.Therefore, the gender component in vocational train-ing, when it comes to analysing the types of work which women and men preferand choose, shows that they largely follow a process of socialisation initiated frominfancy.

Thus, to integrate a gender perspective in vocational training allows another way ofseeing, speaking and thinking about disciplines of knowledge such as sustainable tourism.It is an educational process that considers and analyses the power relationships thatexist in a determined place and in a concrete discipline.This perspective highlights thefact that the early definition and distribution of gender roles strengthens and increasesinequalities, impact or condition gender identities, and increase the gender gap betweenwomen and men.

3.3. Sustainable Tourism

Firstly, it is important to mention that sustainable tourism, in the framework of the proj-ect “Vocational Training and Sustainable Tourism”, is understood as an opportune areato fulfil the three component dimensions of sustainable development: the social, envi-ronmental and economic. Secondly, and also within the framework of the project, gen-der is understood as an additional component which sustainable tourism should includein order to fulfil these criteria.

Given that it is not common to integrate a gender perspective in the three dimensions ofsustainable development, as is the case in terms of other economic activities, gender


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inequalities tend to be present globally in the tourism sector, including in sustainabletourism.

To understanding the importance of integrating a gender perspective in the sustainabledevelopment of tourism, a brief reference must be made to the relationship betweengender and sustainability: whether environmental, economic or social.

1. Gender and environmental sustainability21: the combination of both conceptsprompts examination of the relationship between environmental degradation, gen-der inequalities and discrimination against women. The way in which gender rolescondition the relationship that women and men (both individually and collectively)have with natural resources is studied.In general, when dealing with environmentalproblems, the impacts “at the end of the tube” (wastes, contamination, land degra-dation) are more often identified and addressed than the matter of women’s accessto, and control over, natural resources. Central elements such as, for example,women’s access to, and control over, land, or the control and management of wateror forests, are still not considered relevant.

2. Gender and economic sustainability: studying and working towards economic sus-tainability from a gender perspective allows one totackle the following matters22:

• Methodological criticisms: in the formulation of statistics and national accounts thatare blind to gender

• Discussions on binomial work/employment • Sexual division of labour• Labour participation and discrimination against women• Economic policies and their effects, differentiated by sex• Problems and alternatives related to gender and development• Invisibility of women in macroeconomic models• Gender bias in public policies and budgets• Impact of gender on public policies• Economy and gender equality• Budgets with a gender focus

The fusion of the concepts “economy” and “gender” is increasingly being recognised.Organisations such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development23

(OECD) also justify therelevance thereof for sustainable development and the econom-ic growth of countries:

3. Gender and social sustainability: In general terms, the motto of social sustainabilityis to maintain social cohesion. It is closely linked to human rights and is seen as being

21. For more information see: Red de Género y MedioAmbiente (RGMA) (Gender and Environment Network):http://redgeneroymedioambiente.org.mx/ (in Spanish)22. Sin género de dudas (Gender Without Doubt): http://singenerodedudas.com/economiafeminista/1179/economia-sostenible-equidad-condicion-de-eficiencia (in Spanish)23. See Gender and Sustainable Development: Maximising The Economic, Social And Environmental Role ofWomen: www.oecd.org/dataoecd/58/1/40881538.pdf


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conditioned by economic and environmental sustainability.Nevertheless, a genderperspective should not be considered only in terms social sustainability as is oftenthe case, for it is a category of analysis which has to be part of, and influence, eachdimension of sustainable development. In this way, it will be possible to conceive ofnew ways of accomplishing activities for economic, environmental and social sustain-ability.

By and large, the tendency to link sustainable tourism to women and/or with genderhas concentrated on issues of exploitation, especially of women and children, for thepurposes of sexual exploitation in the tourism industry24.As such, a limited vision of thisrelationship exists, despite the many questions related to women and gender in sustain-able tourism.

The recent UNWTO/UN WOMEN Global Report on Women in Tourism 201025 hashelped to internationalize the breadth of the research, and management planning in sus-tainable tourism in women’s favour. It finds that women make up the majority of thetourism sector’s work force in almost all regions of the world, but tend to be concen-trated in lower level positions and thus performing precarious and low-paid work.There are few women at the highest levels of management in either the public or pri-vate tourism sectors.

The Report also notes that women contribute a great deal of unpaid work to tourismenterprises.Without going into detail on the Report’s findings, this point is particularlyimportant to note, as unpaid work hinders the opportunities for women’s empower-ment and limits their access to the benefits of formal employment.The principal con-clusions of the publication are as follows26:

• Women make up a large proportion of the formal tourism workforce• Women are well represented in service and clerical level jobs but poorly represent-

ed at professional levels• Women in tourism are typically earning 10% to 15% less than their male counterparts• The tourism sector has almost twice as many women employers as other sectors• One in five tourism ministers worldwide are women• Women make up a much higher proportion of own-account workers in tourism than

in other sectors• A large amount of unpaid work is being carried out by women in family tourism busi-

nesses

24. See The Code, End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and the Trafficking of Children for SexualPurposes (ECPAT): http://www.thecode.org/25. See Global Report on Women in Tourism 2010, UNWTO/UN Women: http://www.e-unwto.org/content/j133q0/fulltext.pdf26. See the abstract of the Global Report on Women in Tourism 2010: http://www2.unwto.org/en/event/launch-unwtounwomen-global-report-women-tourism-2010


Good Practices


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4. Presentation of Good Practices

The selected good practices are drawn from diverse cultural contexts with differenteconomic, touristic and gender dynamics: Bolivia, Nicaragua,The Gambia, Morocco andSenegal.

Each good practice is presented in a table that illustrates:

• the general, national or local context from which the GP is taken,• the fundamental data of the GP,• relevant information related to gender equality and/or women’s empowerment, and• relevant information in terms of vocational training and decent work.

The GPs are presented in the following order:

• Bolivia: Velasco Handicraft Centre and the Sutuniquina Community “Clay Ceramics”• Nicaragua: Finca Esperanza Verde and Entre brisas y encanto’s (BetweenBreezes and

Charms) Tourism Eco-Lodge.• Morocco: Sobarif Cooperative and Ajaabou Women’s Agricultural Cooperative• Gambia: “Gambia is Good” and Tumani Tenda• Senegal: Kër Cupaam and the Popenguine Association of Women


Presentation of Good Practices

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VELASCO HANDICRAFTSCENTRE (Bolivia)Member institution of the project: The Association of Chiquitanos Municipalities

OVERALL CONTEXT OF THE GOOD PRACTICE

Geographical Zone San Ignacio de VelascoPopulation (zone)27 Women: 20,161

Men: 21,251Rural/Urban area Urban area.(zone)Ethnic groups (zone) Chiquitanos.The origin of the Chiquitano term “los chicos” comes from

mid-16th century.They were so named because the entrances to theirhuts were small and low to protect them from wild animals.(Translator’s note: “chico” in Spanish means “small”.)

Main religion/ Predominantly Catholic.Other religions (zone)Official language/ Castilian Spanish, Besiro dialect - Mother tongue: Chiquitano.Other dialects (zone)Principal economic Livestock breeding, forestry and tourism.activities (zone)Environmental It is important to mention that the most common environmentalcontext (zone) disasters in the region are floods. However, the San Ignacio de Velasco

municipality has not suffered such misfortune. In environmental terms,the Chiquitanos have been most affected by “chaqueo” (logging andburning of forests for pastureland).The lumber associations situated inthe area are therefore obliged to devise a plan by which to managegrants and stop indiscriminate logging.Therein each association isrequired to plant seedbeds to prevent the depletion of forests,as wellas to establish a certified logging plan.This has affected the artisans asithas increased the price of the raw material needed to produce theirhandicrafts.

27. HDI - Human Development Index 2009 and 2011



39


Social context Life expectancy from birth: 66.6 years28.(country) Life Expectancy Index: 0.675

Minimum national salary: 815 Bs. (84 €)Causes of death: Infectious and parasitic diseases (23.9%), problems ofthe circulatory system (19.5%), respiratory system (14%), accidents andviolence (9.8%), digestive system illnesses (8.6%), conditions originatingin the perinatal period (7.4%), and tumours (4%).Average maternal age: 19 years Average marriage age: From 1990 the average age at which womenmarry is 27 years, whereas men marry at the age of 29.

Relevant information A study exists of the Chiquitanos and Ayoreas communities entitledrelated to gender “Conocimientos y Riesgos de ITS,VIH y SIDA con enfoque de género”(zone) (Information and Risks of STDs, HIV and AIDS with a Gender Focus). It

has been supported by DFID, CARE EPUA KUÑATAÍ and otherinstitutions.Other studies are focus more on work with women and not ongender issues in themselves.This work is shaped by external fundingfrom NGOs.

Overall tourism The revenue from International in-bound tourism to Bolivia has notablysituation (zone)29 risen, surpassing US$169 million in 2000, US$292 million in 2007

and US$314.4 million in 2008. Itscontribution to the country’s GDPwas 2.02% in 2000 and 2.34% in 2005. Currently, the foreigncurrency earnings from in-bound tourism represent the third most important sector within Bolivian exports, after natural gas(US$381.1 million), torta (a type of cake) and soybean oil (US$ 336.5 million).According to the data of the INE (National Statistics Institute) ofBolivia, the ViruViru Airport in the city of Santa Cruz registered thegreatest influx of foreign visitors, with international travellersrepresenting 65.03% of total arrivals to this airport, and a further32.04% and 2.03%, to El Alto (La Paz) and Jorge Wilsterman(Cochabamba), respectively30.

Percentage of illiterate 19,35%31

women (country)Percentage of illiterate 6,94%32

men (country)

28. HDI - Human Development Index 2009 and 201129.The availability of tourism statistics in the Gran Chiquitania is limited.This is reduced to some non-syste-matic efforts on the part of the tourism offices, municipalities, some private establishments, museums etc.Accommodation services are wary of handing in their customer registration data due to the fear that thisinformation may be used for competition. However, some useful information can be accessed from whichsome important conclusions can be derived to create the strategy.30.Tourism Statistics. INE Bolivia,Third Trimester 2008 - 200931. UNICEF, Demographic Indicators, of education in 200332. UNICEF, Demographic Indicators, of education in 2003



40


Principal The restoration of their temples brought Chiquitanos cultureevents (zone) back to life . Historically, the Chiquitos’ villages of specialized in painting,

carving and the combination of colours using roots. as they formedpart of “the villages of the Indians” under the tutelage of the Jesuits,who, with their reductional system33, maintained a certain level ofautonomy. At present six Chiquitanos villages have maintained bothbuildings from the Missionary period, as well as part of the customs ofthe original indigenous population.The conservation of urban elementsof the Missionary erahas enabled the combination of two elementscharacteristic of the urban area to survive: a population deeply-rootedin their traditions and architecture from the epoch of Spanishmissionary activity. In the villages, one may still observe aspects of thecolonial era’s socio-cultural legacy which the Jesuits, in their reductionalexperiment, implanted and which have been kept alive in both folkloreand the urban landscape34.Following the restorations of San Miguel, Concepción, and San Rafael,as well as construction in San Xavier, six Chiquitanos villages, their sixtemples and all their rich, indigenous, missionary culture, were declareda World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1990.This marked an importantmilestone as it prompted an increase in tourism, which currentlysupplies additional income for Chiquitanos families.

GOOD PRACTICE DATA

Name of the initiative: Velasco Handicrafts CentreDate of initiation 2007Type of initiative Public sector tourism company Funding Municipality of San Ignacio, Casa Municipal de la Mujer, ownresources.Number of women 50Number of men 10Presentation of The women artisans of the Municipality of San Ignacio began producingthe initiative handicrafts independently, displaying their products to other people

of the village.With the support of the Casa Municipal de la Cultura(Town Cultural Centre) and the Cooperación Española (SpanishCooperation), the fact that the women needed a place to meet anddisplay their handicrafts was identified. A space belonging to themunicipality was made available to the women for the sale andexhibition of their handicrafts, which exemplify the living culture of theregion.This was achieved through meetings with the artisans interestedin forming an association

33.The term ‘reductional’ refers to the reduction of the Missionaires when the Jesuits were expulsed.34. Roth, OpCit.



41


RESULTS IN TERMS OF GENDER EQUALITY

AND/OR WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT

• The initiative has spread awareness of the women’s artistic work and prompted therecognition of its social value.The women now have greater confidence, and feel proudwhen tourists buy and appreciate their creations.The women have received training inorganisation skills, allowing them to meetto deal with common issues that may, or maynot, be linked to the handicrafts centre.These public and private spaces of exchangeenable women’s practical and strategic needs to be made visible, thereby raising aware-ness of them. As such, it is important for women to organise themselves and supportone another, so as to work in a concrete manner and meet these needs.

• Institutions specialising inwomen’s rights have becomeinvolved, such as La Casa de laMujer.

• Women now have the opportunity to negotiate with the authorities on issues whichhave a bearing on the entire community, hence encouraging the process of empower-ment and women’s leadership in the community has increased.

• Progress has been made in changing gender roles. Men have begun to recognise andvalue women’s work in the public sphere.The initiative has also challenged the beliefthat only men can leave the house and act as the head of a family.

• Chiquitanos culture has been strengthened by incorporating the perspectives of women.

The institutions involved instigated a three month process of identification of key needs/interests.Meetings/workshops with both women and men were held every fortnight inthis context, supportedby the Casa Municipal de la Cultura (Town Cultural Centre) andthe Cooperación Española (Spanish Corporation).

RESULTS IN TERMS OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING A

ND DECENT WORK

• The members of this initiative recognised the importance of vocational training interms of organising, associating, defining rules and regulations, and administering thehandicrafts centre in a more structured, efficient and transparent manner.

• The members have been trained in various issues linked to the improvement of themanagement of the project and of their products: cloth painting, product diversifica-tion, quality control, costs, administration, IT courses etc. Involvement in the initiativehas increased the members’ self-esteem and independence, strengthened Chiquitanoculture and afforded women the opportunity to feel recognised.This gives membersmoremedium to long term tools with which to access local assistance and improvework conditions.

• In socio-economic terms, working in the initiative has allowed members to live morecomfortably, to better educate their children, and to increase their contribution totheir homes in monetary terms.

• Politically, involvement in the project has helped the Municipality recognise the valueof the handicraft production performed by both women and men.



42


SUTUNIQUINA COMMUNITY “CLAY CERAMICS” (Bolivia) Member institution of the project: The Association of Chiquitanos Municipalities


Geographical Zone San Ignacio de VelascoPopulation (zone) 35 Women: 20,161

Men: 21,251Rural/urban Urban area.area (zone)Ethnic groups (zone) Chiquitanos.The origin of the Chiquitanos term “los chicos” comes

from mid-16th century.They were so named because the entrances totheir huts were small and low to protect them from wild animals.(Translator’s note: “chico” in Spanish means “small”.)

Main religion/ Predominantly Catholic.Other religions (zone)Official language/ Castilian Spanish, Besiro dialect - Mother tongue: Chiquitano.Other dialects (zone)Principal economic Livestock breeding, forestry and tourism.activities (zone)Environmental It is important to mention that the most common environmentalcontext (zone) disasters in the region are floods. However, the San Ignacio de Velasco

municipality has not suffered such misfortune. In environmental terms,the Chiquitanos have been most affected by “chaqueo” (logging andburning of forests for pastureland).The lumber associations situated inthe area are therefore obliged to devise a plan by which to managegrants and stop indiscriminate logging.Therein each association isrequired to plant seedbeds to prevent the depletion of forests,as wellas to establish a certified logging plan.This has affected the artisans asithas increased the price of the raw material needed to produce theirhandicrafts.

35. HDI - Human Development Index 2009 and 2011



43


Social context Life Expectancy Index: 0.675(country) Minimum national salary: 815 Bs. (84 €)

Causes of death: Infectious and parasitic diseases (23.9%), problemsof the circulatory system (19.5%), respiratory system (14%),accidents and violence (9.8%), digestive system illnesses (8.6%),conditions originating in the perinatal period (7.4%), and tumours (4%).Average maternal age: 19 years.Average marriage age: From 1990 the average age at which womenmarry is 27 years, whereas men marry at the age of 29.

Relevant information A study exists of the Chiquitanos and Ayoreas communities entitledrelated to gender “Conocimientos y Riesgos de ITS,VIH y SIDA con enfoque de género”(zone) (Information and Risks of STDs, HIV and AIDS with a Gender Focus). It

has been supported by DFID, CARE EPUA KUÑATAÍ and otherinstitutions. Other studies are focus more on work with women andnot on gender issues in themselves.This work is shaped by externalfunding from NGOs.

Overall tourism The revenue from International in-bound tourism to Bolivia has notablysituation (zone)36 risen, surpassing US$169 million in 2000, US$292 million in 2007

and US$314.4 million in 2008. Itscontribution to the country’s GDPwas 2.02% in 2000 and 2.34% in 2005. Currently, the foreign currency earnings from in-bound tourism represent the third mostimportant sector within Bolivian exports, after natural gas (US$381.1 million), torta (a type of cake) and soybean oil (US$ 336.5 million).According to the data of the INE (National Statistics Institute) ofBolivia, the ViruViru Airport in the city of Santa Cruz registered thegreatest influx of foreign visitors, with international travellersrepresenting 65.03% of total arrivals to this airport, and a further32.04% and 2.03%, to El Alto (La Paz) and Jorge Wilsterman(Cochabamba), respectively37.38.

Percentage of illiterate 19.35%39

women (country)Percentage of illiterate 6.94%40

men (country)

36.The availability of tourism statistics in the Gran Chiquitania is limited.This is reduced to some non-syste-matic efforts on the part of the tourism offices, municipalities, some private establishments, museums etc.Accommodation services are wary of handing in their customer registration data due to the fear that thisinformation may be used for competition. However, some useful information can be accessed from whichsome important conclusions can be derived to create the strategy.37.Tourism Statistics. INE Bolivia,Third Trimester 2008 - 200938.Tourism Statistics. INE Bolivia,Third Trimester 2008 - 200939. UNICEF, Demographic Indicators, of education in 200340. UNICEF, Demographic Indicators, of education in 2003



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Principal events (zone) The restoration of their temples brought Chiquitanos culture back tolife. Historically, the Chiquitos’ villages of specialized in painting, carvingand the combination of colours using roots. as they formed part of“the villages of the Indians” under the tutelage of the Jesuits, who, withtheir reductional system41, maintained a certain level of autonomy. Atpresent six Chiquitanos villages have maintained both buildings fromthe Missionary period, as well as part of the customs of the originalindigenous population.The conservation of urban elements of theMissionary erahas enabled the combination of two elementscharacteristic of the urban area to survive: a population deeply-rootedin their traditions and architecture from the epoch of Spanishmissionary activity. In the villages, one may still observe aspects of thecolonial era’s socio-cultural legacy which the Jesuits, in their reductionalexperiment, implanted and which have been kept alive in both folkloreand the urban landscape42.Following the restorations of San Miguel, Concepción, and San Rafael,as well as construction in San Xavier, six Chiquitano villages, their sixtemples and all their rich, indigenous, missionary culture, were declareda World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1990.This marked an importantmilestone as it prompted an increase in tourism, which currentlysupplies additional income for Chiquitanos families.

GOOD PRACTICE DATA

Name of the initiative: Sutuniquina Community “Clay Ceramics” Date of initiation 2004Type of initiative Community-based tourism project, supported by the public sector Funding Municipality of San Ignacio de Velasco and contributions from the

community Number of women 7Number of men 8Presentation This initiative was launched in the Municipality of San Miguel in 1997of the initiative with the aim of producing vases and other vessels for holding water or

chicha (a type of alcoholic drink made from fermented maize), as wellas mud pans for cooking.The products gradually became sought afterby tourists, both from the region and from elsewhere in Bolivia.In 2004, a group of seven women organised and consolidated theinitiative, and requested support from the Municipality of SanIgnacio for the construction of a warehouse.The latter would be usedfor the production of handicrafts, enabling the women to fulfil ordersand strengthen their organisation.

41.The term ‘reductional’ refers to the reduction of the Missionaires when the Jesuits were expulsed.42. Roth, Op Cit.



45




• The women had the freedomto design their own projects and participate in handi-crafts and tourism fairs, both at the local and national levels.

• Since its inception, the initiative took the needs of vulnerable groups, such as the eld-erly and children, into consideration. One reason for this is the importance of knowl-edge transfer for clay work, anactivity which is over 70 years old.

• Women workers participated actively in the project, expressing their interests andneeds in decision-making arenas, for instance in the Local Council’s Annual Plan.

• Through concrete action, women have managed to ensure that their interests andneeds are taken into account. By doing so, they have made their work visible at thenational and international level.

• The women have improved their business skills and their negotiating position bothwithin their families and with relation to authorities.They have also taken advantageof the benefits of working in an organized, in both their personal and professionallives.

• Involvement in the Association has allowed women access to the diverse social spaceswhich were previously off-limits for them. At the same time, many men have under-gone positive changes in their attitudes concerning the acceptability of women work-ing outside the home, or the perception of their being solely suitable for performingdomestic tasks. Spaces for collaboration and solidarity between women and menhave emerged. A small number of men now help the women in their business, andmore cooperation now exists in the home. A space in the community has been pro-vided for the members to produce their ceramics, to be valued by authorities, and tobe recognised by the tourists who purchase their work.

RESULTS IN THE FRAMEWORK OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING

AND DECENT WORK

• Both men and women members received training to improve the management of theAssociation, notably with regard to sales, product quality, budgets, customer service,organization and technical matters related to handicrafts.Vocational training was pro-vided to members of the initiative, in order to refine the quality of their products withrelation to paints, prices, codification of the ceramics, and design. Much of this train-ing was created on the basis of information gleaned from the behaviour and prefer-ences of tourists.

• The women involved have demonstrated the need for vocational training in the useof the looms so as to help generate more work and income for the women who donot utilize clay.The high cost of these materials has prevented this type of training atpresent.

• The sale of products has increased due to the vocational training provided by inter-national agencies from Spain via the Tourist Office,

• Literacy courses have been set up in parallel to compliment the vocational trainingprovided.



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• More work within the community has been generated as a consequence of increas-ing product sales, brought about by a rise in the number of orders, and the members’participation in fairs, both locally and in other regions of Bolivia. In terms of self-esteem, working in the initiative has made women feel valued by their spouses andrecognised by their community and the municipality.

• Economically, involvement in the project has created an income for the women,increasing their right to make purchasing decisions in the home, and prompting themto feel more appreciated by their families.



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FINCA ESPERANZA VERDE (Nicaragua)Member institution of the project: Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (INTUR)


Geographical Zone Municipio de San RamónPopulation (zone)43 15,543 men y 15,139 women.Rural/Urban Area 3,285 people live in the urban area and 30,583 in the rural area.(zone)44

Ethnic groups There are no indigenous ethnic groups in the Municipality(zone) of San Ramón.Main religion/ 95 % are practicing Catholics.Other religions (zone)Official language/other Spanish.dialects (zona)Principal economic Livestock breeding, forestry and tourism.activities (zone) Social context According to the personnel of the Finca Esperanza Verde, the average(zone - country) age at which locals marry is 15. Officially, no data has been found, as

the area lacks a census containing this information. A table provided bythe Ministry of Labour of Nicaragua in August 2011 indicates that theminimum salary in the tourism sector was approximately 77 euros.

Relevant information Women: EAP45: 1, 961; Permanent work: 10 - 14 year olds: 20; 15 - 29related to gender year olds: 449; 30 years olds and over: 534.(zone) Men:EAP: 7, l 681; Permanent work:10 - 14 year olds: 88 - 15 - 29 year

olds: 1, 274 30 year olds and above: 1, 705.Cases of gender violence by department: Rates per 100 millioninhabitants46: Family: 55; Marital: 169; Child: 7.

43. National census 2005.44. According to the 2008 Yearbook of the INIDE.45. EAP: Economically Active Population.46. National Census 2005.This data exists only by department, not by municipality.



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Overall tourism Between 2007 and 2011, approximately 5,995 national and foreign48

situation (zone)47 tourists visited San Ramón - Matagalpa: 3,970 Europeans, 1,450 NorthAmericans and 575 Nicaraguans.Tourism has become among the mostimportant development activities, with its economic importancestemming from the income it generates.The Municipal Department ofTourism, coordinated by a member of the Municipal Council, has beenworking with MSMEs tourists to improve the tourism supply of themunicipality.In terms of tourism, San Ramón has been a pioneering municipality. Itpossesses a number of touristic, cultural and natural attractions on offerto tourists.These include the Yucul Genetic Reserve, the only one of itskind in the world in terms of its variety of Tecun Humani pines; coffeeplantations where tourists may learn about the process of harvestinggrano de oro (coffee beans) and where the first coffee plant wasplanted in Nicaragua; Finca Esperanza Verde; walking paths, lodgings andbutterfly farms; and the Orchid Thematic Park, a municipal tourismproject constructed as a genetic laboratory for orchids.

Percentage of illiterate 40.7%. Between 19 - 29 years of age 29.0%women (country)49

Percentage of illiterate 36.8 %. Between 19 - 29 years of age: 31.2%men (country)50

Principal events In 2004, the national assembly and the president declared and elevatedSan Ramón to the category of City; all in the atmosphere of celebratingthe centenary of this municipality. In 1998, the Municipality of SanRamón was affected by Hurricane Mitch, leaving human and economiclosses in its wake, deteriorating the environment and degrading theland. At the root of the disaster, the local government supported the population via the aid offered by national and internationalorganisations and institutions.In 2001 – 2002, with the fall in the price of coffee, many families leftthe rural zones of the Municipality of San Ramón towards the urbanzone to demand for employment, housing, land, health and educationfor their children, bringing about cuts in the Pan-American lines of thedepartment; San Ramón took actions to pressurise the centralgovernment in their demand for legal land, housing, free education andhealthcare.The mentioned agreements were taken seriously by thegovernment for reconciliation and unity. From 2005 – 2008, theMunicipal Government decreed a municipal day of the Bible andconstructed the monument based on the Bible as a universal symbol ofChristianity.”

47. Municipal Town Hall of San Ramón.48.These are approximate data given that the sector linked to the hotel management of the community doesnot provide exact data.49. National Census, 200550. National Census, 2005



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GOOD PRACTICE DATA

Name of the initiative: Finca Esperanza Verde51

Start date 1998Type of initiative Community-based tourism.Rural/Urban context Rural.Funding 60 % of the income generated by the sale of the services covers 100%

of the employees’ salaries.The rest is received as donations from theDurham organisation, North Carolina (USA), and from the productsproduced on the estate.

Number of women 15Number of men 5Presentation Finca Esperanza Verde was founded in 1998 as a result of the of the initiative collaborative friendship between a non-profit organisation based in

Durham, North Carolina (USA), and San Ramón, Nicaragua. Its missionis to strengthen friendship and cooperation between the twocommunities through cultural exchanges and economic and socialdevelopment projects. One such project is the Casa Huésped, which isconducted by a group of seven women who offer lodgings in theirhomes.This allows tourists to experience the reality of the communityfirst-hand. A total of 20 people work directly in the initiative.Duringpeak season and/or when handling large groups, two additionalworkers people are hired on the estate, as well asone in each guesthouse, all of whom are women.



• The women working in the initiative now have a source of income and savings whichafford them access to certain resources (strategic interests) whichwere previously outof their reach.They are now able to improve their homes, access medical care and con-cern themselves not only with the well-being of their families but also with their own(private sphere).

• Their involvement in the project has helped the women understand their fundamentalrights.They feel valued given the recognition of the quality of their work by clients.The initiative has generated a collaborative space between women and men. Of a total11 guest houses, 5 involve the participation of the women’s husbands and sons.

• Women have been allowed to participate in the committee of the San RamónComunidades Hermanas (San Ramón Community of Sisters) on a monthly basis, wherethey discuss new projects which planned for the year and reflect on questions that affectthe entire community.

51. Good Practice Weblink: http://www.fincaesperanzaverde.org/



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RESULTS IN THE TERMS OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING

AND DECENT WORK

• The women workers have had the opportunity of being trained in first aid, the man-agement of hotel reservation, and administration.

• The training provided, although only loosely linked to gender roles, has allowedwomen to articulate their needs and concerns, make use of foreign funds to carryout social projects, earn respect, and to have their voices heard. This demonstratesthat training not only has a positive impact for an initiative in itself, but also permitswomen and their communities to improve their quality of life in general.These resultsbecome sustainable if other gender-sensitive activities are simultaneously and regular-ly carried out to identify and cater to strategic needs, such as training in gender issuesand workshops for entrepreneurs incorporating gender themes.

• Entrepreneurial activity has been encouraged through interactive workshops, facilitat-ing a process of knowledge and skill acquisition, as well as the improvement of thequality of women’s participation.The results would have had more impact if this train-ing included topics such as: independence, self-esteem, gender roles, gender identities,the social value ofentrepreneurs, quality of participation, etc.



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“ENTRE BRISAS Y ENCANTOS” (BETWEEN BREEZES AND CHARMS)TOURISTIC ECO-LODGING. LA FUNDADORA COMMUNITY (Nicaragua)Member institute of the project: National Autonomous University of Nicaragua


Geographical Zone La Fundadora Community, Jinotega, NicaraguaPopulation (zone) Approximately 1,00052

Rural/Urban Area Rural.(zone)Main religion/ Protestants and Catholics; percentage unknown.Other religions (zone)Official language/ Spanish.Other dialects (zone)Principal economic Agriculture (production of coffee, vegetables and flowers) and livestock activities (zone) breeding, as well as commerce and tourism on a smaller scale.Environmental An abundance of natural space for tourism and cultivation, scenic context (zone) beauty, natural spring water. One weakness in environmental terms of is

that running water has certain levels of contamination from waste and theuse of agrochemicals.

Social context Life expectancy is 69.91 years for men and 76.02 years for women.(country)53

Relevant information In Nicaragua 20.7 % of parliamentary seats are occupied by women related to gender and 30.8% of women have a secondary school or higher (country)54 level of education. By contrast, 44.7% of the men have a secondary

school or higher level of education. For every 100,000 live births, 100women die due to pregnancy-related complications.The adolescentfertility rate is of 112.7 births for every 1000 live births.Theparticipation of women in the labour market is 47.1% in comparisonwith 78.4% for men.

52. INEC (National Institute of Statistics and Census).53. Centre for Information and Health Assessment Services http://www.cisas.org.ni/node/10354. Gender Inequality Index 2011.



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Overall tourism The area is remarkable for its natural attractions including coffeesituation (zone)55 plantations and the natural reserve Datanlí-El Diablo. Of the foreign

tourists Nicaragua received in 2010, approximately 7.7% visited thisarea.There are 21 establishments: 6 hotels and 15 non-hotel tourismaccommodation facilities. In 2010, the three principal regions fromwhich tourists visited this area were: Central America: 650,699; NorthAmerica: 247,857; and Europe: 71,872.

Principal The events of the war in the 1980s, and conflicts over land, have left their events (zone) mark on the community.The majority of the country’s population,

particularly those from the north, were affected during the war. It wasprecisely in this area where the counter-revolution took place andasignificant number of settlers rallied to this cause.This situation triggeredsocial issues such as: the abandonment of homes, orphaned children,economic problems and incidents of physicaldisability.The revolutionwould later come to encompass the fight for land, sometimes betweenmembers of the same communities.The desire of people to have accessto property instigated a legal process involving the writing of deeds.

GOOD PRACTICE DATA

Name of the initiative: “Entre brisas y encantos” (Between Breezes and Charms) Tourism Eco-Lodge. La Fundadora Community

Date of initiation 2001Type of initiative Community-based tourism.Rural/Urban context Rural.Funding UNDP and Ecology and Development (ECODES).Number of women 22Number of men 33Presentation This initiative is related to the development of Sustainable Community-of the initiative based Rural Tourism (Turismo Rural Comunitario Sostenible), located in

the tourist circuit of La Fundadora, La Esmeralda and La Sultana innorthern Nicaragua. It emerged from the process of designing theStrategic Plan for Cooperatives (founded in March 2002), coordinatedby the NGO ‘La Cuculmeca’.Therein it was decided that tourismshould be added to the cooperative’s activities. Given that the projecthas not existed for an extensive period, no salaries have yet been paidto participants sincethe earnings to date have been invested in thegrowth of the initiative. However, decent employment is a definiteaspect of the project, asworkers engage in dignified work that allowsthem to develop and form part of a tourism initiative with excellentpotential for fostering community development.

55. Tourism Statistics Report 2010 of the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (INTUR) http://www.intur.gob.ni/DOCS/ESTADISTICAS/Estadisticas%20de%20Turismo%202010.pdf



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RESULTS IN THE FRAMEWORK OF GENDER EQUALITY

AND/OR THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN

• The women participate in the public sphere, both with regards to the initiative andthe community at large.This in turn has the potential to positively change gender rolesof women and men.

• 50% of those who work in the initiative are women .the management committee ismade up of 6 women and 3 men.This level of representation could help make visi-ble the needs and priorities of women, as well as their methods of approaching thevarious issues implicated in the GP, especially with regards to its management.

• 27% of women in the community have opened tourism-related businesses, comparedto 18% of men.This suggests that tourism is a promising sphere for women in termsof their access to diverse resources.Nonetheless, this does not completely confirmthat these women have control over resources or over their own lives in thepublic,private and domestic spheres.

• The women are now part of their community’s Citizen Power Council (Consejo dePoder Ciudadano - CPC).This may be seen as a clear example of quality participa-tion which permits women to initiate a process of their own empowerment as activecitizens with full rights.

• The Strategic Plan of the initiative outlines the importance of incorporating a genderperspective.

• NGOs such as La Cuculmeca, CIPRES and the Spanish Cooperation Agency (AECID)supported the incorporation of the gender perspective, both for the cooperative aswell as for the community.

RESULTS IN TERMS OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING

AND DECENT WORK

• The work undertaken and the training given to the women are clearly linked to theproductive role. This allows them to gradually access the public sphere and, in theirown words , “les genera esperanza y lasempodera” (it generates hope and empow-ers them).

• Through their involvement in the initiative, members have greater access to trainingand areas of decision-making such as the Communal Assembly. This participation isimportant because it reinforces awareness raising of both their rights and of theirresponsibilities.Thus training, in a formal or informal context, is significant in encour-aging participation and transmitting the knowledge and experience acquired in thedecision-making spaces.



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SOBARIF COOPERATIVE (Morocco)Member institution of the project: Rif Association for the Development of Rural Tourism

(Riftourisme)


Geographical Zone Al HoceimaPopulation56 31,759,997Rural/Urban Rural.Area (zone)Ethnic groups (zone) Berber-Black-Arab 98.1%, others 0.7%, Jews 0.2%Main religion/Other 98.3% of the population practises Islam.religions (country)Official language/ Arabic (official language), Darija (Moroccan Arabic), Berber and French.Other dialects(country)Principal economic Service industry, agriculture, fishing and industry.activities (country)Social context Of a total of 187 countries, Morocco is listed as number 130 on the(country) Human Development Index . Life expectancy in the country is 75.5

years on average, the adult literacy rate is 56%, and unemployment was10% in 200958.

Relevant information 6.7% of parliamentary seats are occupied by women, and 20.1% of related to gender women have reached a secondary school or higher level of(country)59 education.36.3% of men haveachieved a secondary school or higher

level of education. For every 100,000 live births, 110 women die dueto pregnancy-related complications.The adolescent fertility rate is 15.1births for every 1000 live births.The participation of women in thelabour market is 26.2% as comparedwith 80.1% for the men.

56. Hau Commissariat au plan http://www.hcp.ma/ (in French)57. Human Development Index 201158.World Bank59. Human Development Index 2011 http://hdrstats.undp.org/images/explanations/MAR.pdf



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Overall tourism Tourism is one of the principal driving forces for the growth of the situation (country)60 Moroccan economy as well as for the equilibrium of itsbalance of

payments, alongside the remittances of emigrants and foreign investments-As such, it continues to be one of the priority sectors for the authorities.In 2010, the contribution of the tourism sector to the GDP was 6.8%.

GOOD PRACTICE DATA

Name of the initiative: SOBARIF Cooperative Date of initiation 2009Type of initiative Tourism and Fair Trade.Rural/Urban context Rural.Funding CAM (Autonomous Community of Madrid) and the Autonomous

Government of Castilla and León.Number of women 13Number of men 0Presentation In September 2009, 25 women from the village of Agni created of the initiative SOBARIF Cooperative.This initiative forms part of a sustainable

development programme of the BniBoufrah rural commune.Therein,the SOBARIF Cooperative benefited from the input of the SpanishNGO MPDL in terms of its creation, technical training of itsmanagement and basic literacy courses.The cooperative is also one ofthe beneficiaries of a project financed by the Madrid Town Council andcarried out by Riftourisme and ASCIB (the IbnBatouta Socio-CulturalAssociation), which aims to strengthen women’s cooperatives in theAlhucemas National Park.The SOBARIF Cooperative enabled thewomen to own the only cooperative in the area which produces andsells products derived from cactus. Another unique feature of thisproject is that the Cooperative members are all unmarried.

RESULTS IN TERMSOF GENDER EQUALITY

AND/OR WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT

• Women now have access public spaces through the selling of their products, partici-pation in fairs and in meetings with other organisations and administrations, and candefend their rights and interests.The members of the initiative received training con-cerning the fundamental rights of women,national policies such as the Family Codeand the National Strategy for Women’s Integration.

• The initiative has had an influence over gender roles and identities. The 13 womenhave been able to access the global labour market, are paid and can defend theirrights and interests. Moreover, tourism presents them with business opportunities, aswell as contact and communication with the outside world.

60. See Tourism Sector in Morocco http://www.icex.es/icex/cma/contentTypes/common/records/ viewDocument/0,,,00.bin?doc=4524421 (in Spanish)



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• The women’s socio-economic position has improved as a result of the initiative,strengthening their self-esteem and independence, and enabling them to improve thequality of their participation when interacting with local authorities.

• The members of the initiative meet with the local authorities to make decisions,whether related to a local project or to solving a conflict within the community.


AND DECENT WORK

• The women point out that the cooperative allows them to be run their own busi-nesses and to work freely without being exploited.

• Research has been carried out to identify the women’s training needs.• The beneficiaries have received training to improve their skills in basic literacy, coop-

erative management, production techniques, financial management, and cooperativeand labour legislation.

• Training has allowed them to diversify the cooperative’s products of improve theirquality production and packing. It has also prompted the development and improve-ment of their abilities and skills.

• As a result of the project, the 13 women involved possess a better knowledge of theirfundamental rights and aspire to secure further benefits to, and opportunities within,their environment.



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AJAABOU WOMEN’S AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVE (Morocco)Member institution of the project: Rif Association for the Development of Rural Tourism

(Riftourisme)


Geographical Zone Rural Commune Ain Leuh - Province of d'IfranPopulation61 (country) 31,759,997Rural/Urban Area Rural.Ethnic groups Berber-Black-Arab 98.1%, others 0.7%, Jews 0.2%.Main religion/Other 98.3% of the population practises Islam.religions (country)Official language/ Arabic (official language), Darija (Moroccan Arabic), Berber and French.Other dialects(country)Principal economic Service industry, agriculture, fishing and industry .activities (country)Social context Of a total of 187 countries, Morocco is listed as number 130 on the(country) Human Development Index . Life expectancy in the country is 75.5

years on average, the adult literacy rate is 56%, and unemployment was10% in 200963.

Relevant information 6.7% of parliamentary seats are occupied by women, and 20.1% ofrelated to gender women have reached a secondary school or higher level(country)64 of education. 36.3% of men have achieved a secondary school or

higher level of education. For every 100,000 live births, 110 women diedue to pregnancy-related complications.The adolescent fertility rate is15.1 births for every 1000 live births.The participation of women inthe labour market is 26.2% as comparedwith 80.1% for the men.

61. Hau Commissariat au plan http://www.hcp.ma/ (in French)62. Human Development Index 201163.World Bank64. Human Development Index 2011 http://hdrstats.undp.org/images/explanations/MAR.pdf



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Overall tourism Tourism is one of the principal driving forces for the growth of thesituation (country)65 Moroccan economy as well as for the equilibrium of itsbalance of

payments, alongside the remittances of emigrants and foreigninvestments-As such, it continues to be one of the priority sectors forthe authorities. In 2010, the contribution of the tourism sector to theGDP was 6.8%.

GOOD PRACTICE DATA

Name of the initiative: Cooperativa Agrícola Femenina AjaabouDate of initiation 2000Type of initiative Tourism and Fair Trade.Rural/Urban context Rural.Funding Ministry of Agriculture, AMAP Association, the National Initiative for

Human Development and the ADRAR Association.Number of women 11 members (4 married, 4 divorced and 3 unmarried).Number of men 0Presentation The Ajaabou Women's Agricultural Cooperative was established as a of the initiative Moroccan fair trade initiative in 2000. It was established by eleven

women, four of whom are married, four who are divorced, and threewho are currently unmarried.They produce jam/marmalade,couscous, medicinal and aromatic herbs. After joining forces with afurther four cooperatives, they now sell their products in hotels andresorts.Financed by the Ministry of Agriculture,These products attracttourists given the traditional methods by which they are preparedand the natural ingredients they contain. In 2011, the AjaabouCooperative won first prize at the International Agricultural Fair ofMeknes.


AND/OR WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT

• The members have developed activities which were previously considered acceptableonly for men, such as travelling, interacting with other women outside the home, par-ticipating in meetings with local administration to take decisions, earning an incomewhich has enabled them to be financially independent and participating in local,regional, national and, in the near future, international exhibitions and events. Thisclearly illustrates that the women are slowly accessing the public sphere.

• It has allowed the women to improve their position in their communities. Prior totheir involvement in the initiative, they worked inside their homes without opportu-nities to benefit from training.

65. See Tourism Sector in Morocco http://www.icex.es/icex/cma/contentTypes/common/records/viewDocument/0,,,00.bin?doc=4524421 (in Spanish)



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• The Cooperative brings important benefits to the local economy, and, as such,thelocal administration includes it within their strategies and programmes.

• Training sessions on gender and women’s rights have been carried out, which allowsthe women to articulate both their strategic and their practical needs. Furthermore,it facilitates the understanding of the causes of certain problems that affect thesewomen's lives on an individual and collective basis, as well asin relation to men.


AND DECENT WORK

• The members received training in different issues: cooperatives, financial and adminis-trative management, evaluating medicinal and aromatic herbs, and marketing. This isan especially relevant point to note, given that the illiteracy rate among women in thisarea is over 70%. All training involves a practical application phase, which reinforceslessons learnt anddemonstrates to the members the usefulness of what they havelearnt.

• The women have learnt to work in a democratic and united fashion through commit-tees and councils, which are directly linked with either the cooperative or the com-munity.

• Collaboration with other initiatives in the community, and with other cities in Mo-rocco, has been undertaken on the subjects of cooperatives and the techniques ofproducing and selling marmalade. This has the potential to strengthen the women’shuman development.The women are afforded recognition when programmes andstrategies are initiated by administration, the community and state authorities.

• The members of the cooperative participate in the meetings of the CommunalCouncil and are part of the local Committee of the National Initiative for HumanDevelopment.

• The women recognise that their work in the cooperative has allowed them to achieveeconomic independence.



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GAMBIA IS GOOD (The Gambia)Member institution of the project: The Association of Small Scale Enterprises in Tourism (ASSET) of

The Gambia


Geographical Zone Gambia is GoodPopulation66 Women 689,840

Men 670,841Rural/Urban Area (zone) Rural area.Ethnic groups (zone) Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%,Wolof 16%, Jola 10%, Serahule 9%, others 4%.Main religion/ Muslim 90%, Christian 9%, aboriginal beliefs 1%.Other religions Official language English, Mandinka,Wolof, Fula./Other dialects Principal economic Fishing, agriculture and tourism .activitiesSocial context The UNDPHuman Development Index (HDI 2011) lists The Gambia

as number 168 of a total of 187 countries. 60% of the populationsurvive on less than 1 dollar a day and three quarters of thepopulation is engaged in agriculture.

Relevant information 7.5 % of The Gambia’s parliamentary seats are occupied by women andrelated to gender67 16.9% of women have a secondary school or higher level of education.

31.4% of men, by contrast, have a secondary school or higher level ofeducation. For every 100,000 live births, 400 women die due topregnancy-related complications and the adolescent fertility rate is 76.7births for every 1000 live births.The participation of women in thelabour market is 70.6% as compared with 85.2% for men.

Overall tourism Tourism generates 16% of the country’s gross domestic productsituation (GDP) and creates 10,000 jobs. 41% of visitors come from the United

Kingdom, followed by Holland, Spain and Scandinavia. 70% of arrivals tothe country occur between November and April.

66. Poverty Reduction Strategy 2007 - 2011, Republic of The Gambia http://npc.gov.gm/files/images/PRSP_II_APPROVED_COPY_2007_-_20112.pdf67. Human Development Index 2011 http://hdrstats.undp.org/images/explanations/GMB.pdf



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GOOD PRACTICE DATA

Name of the initiative Gambia is GoodDate of initiation 2004Type of initiative Community-based tourism.Funding Concern Universal, the Travel Foundation and other donors.Number of women 900 women (approximately).Number of men 1100 men (approximately).Presentación Gambia is Good links horticulture to tourism.The project aims to of the initiative connect small-scale rural producers with The Gambia’s tourism market

via the production of high-value crops to cater to the specific needsand demands of tourists. Over 1000 people participate in the project,of which 90% are women.

RESULTS IN TERMS OF GENDER QUALITY


• Relationships in the home and the community have improved as a result of spacesthat favour women’s empowerment, especially their economic empowerment.

• The provision of a ready market has yielded multiple benefits. Women’s productivityand access to, and ownership of, productive resources including land have increased;this in turnhelps women to improve their living conditions and to become economi-cally independent.

• Women are involved in accounting and managing their own finances. Financial inde-pendence has enabled them to have a say in matters concerning their families andcommunities.

• Through their work on GIG, the quality of women’s participation in the communityhas improved.They are now recognised as full and contributing members of the com-munity in their own right.This does not, however, imply that women’s work is allot-ted a high level of social value, nor does it signify that domestic and reproductive workare highly valued in the community.

• Gender roles have undergone certain changes, with men now carrying out horticul-tural tasks previously considered an activity for women.

• Channels have been established for the women to influence the outcomes of the ini-tiative.The group which participates in meetings consists of 236 women, and is fur-ther divided into sub-groups. Each sub-group has a female leader, through whom con-cerns are channelled.These leaders, in turn, form part of the management committee.

• One of GIG’s women workers sits on the Village Development Committee (VDC),where decisions regarding the community are taken. Women are thereby able tomake their concerns and problems known.



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AND DECENT WORK

• GIG’s contract system has ensured that women have equal access to income andestablishes that they should no longer exclusively produce for household consump-tion, but should instead also produce to sell, and that their products should be boughtprior to planting at a price mutually agreed with a buyer.

• The money generated by the sale of vegetables has a direct impact on agriculturalworkers, who are paid on the spot.

• The installation of a drip irrigation system on GIG farms makes the women’s horticul-tural production less strenuous than before and contributes to promoting decentwork for these women.The environmental impact of this form of irrigationsystem,however, remains unknown.

• Training on the use of new technologies, as well as literacy courses, has taught bothwomen and men to calculate and be aware of the quantities of goods which theyproduce.



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TUMANI TENDA ECOTOURISM CAMP (The Gambia)Member institute of the project: The Association of Small Scale Enterprises in Tourism (ASSET) of The

Gambia


Geographical Zone68 BrikamiaPopulation69 Women 689,840

Men 670,841Rural/Urban Rural area.Area (zone) Ethnic groups (zone) Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%,Wolof 16%, Jola 10%, Serahule 9%, others 4%Main religion Muslim 90%, Christian 9%, aboriginal beliefs 1%./Other religions Official language English, Mandinka,Wolof, Fula./Other dialects Principal economic Fishing, agriculture and tourism.activities Social context The UNDPHuman Development Index (HDI 2011) lists The Gambia

as number 168 of a total of 187 countries. 60% of the populationsurvive on less than 1 dollar a day and three quarters of thepopulation is engaged in agriculture.

Relevant information 7.5 % of The Gambia’s parliamentary seats are occupied by women and related to gender70 16.9% of women have a secondary school or higher level of education.

31.4% of men, by contrast, have a secondary school or higher level ofeducation. For every 100,000 live births, 400 women die due topregnancy-related complications and the adolescent fertility rate is 76.7births for every 1000 live births.The participation of women in thelabour market is 70.6% as compared with 85.2% for men.

68. All the information presented is at a national level.69. Poverty Reduction Strategy 2007 - 2011, Republic of The Gambia http://npc.gov.gm/files/images/PRSP_II_APPROVED_COPY_2007_-_20112.pdf70. Human Development Index 2011 http://hdrstats.undp.org/images/explanations/GMB.pdf



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Overall tourism Tourism generates 16% of the country’s gross domestic productsituation (GDP) and creates 10,000 jobs. 41% of visitors come from the United

Kingdom, followed by Holland, Spain and Scandinavia. 70% of arrivals tothe country occur between November and April.

Principal events

GOOD PRACTICE DATA

Name of the initiative71 Tumani Tenda ecotourism campDate of initiation 1999Type of initiative Community-based tourism.FundingNumber of women 9 women (approximately).Number of men 7 men (approximately).Presentation Tumani Tenda was inaugurated in April 1999 with the aim of obtainingof the initiative additional income for the Jola72 community to which it belongs The

camp is administrated by a group of volunteers designated by theVillage Development Committee (VDC) and has been positioned as anecotourism destination in The Gambia. It has five cabins and offersactivities such as cooking, oyster collecting, canoe trips, and danceclasses, among others.The income generated from the initiative goes tothe Village Development Fund, which isused to build and improvecommunal buildings and infrastructure, to cover the “emergency” needsof local families and to buy medication for the village inhabitants.



• Women are no longer considered casual workers; thanks to this initiative, their workis now accorded social valued.

• Data disaggregated according to sex is used in the compilation of information, everysix months, on priority activities for the community, as well as on undertakings relat-ed to the Development Committee, the management of schools and the manage-ment of the “vegetable garden” headed by women.

• Some women have recently become members of the initiative’s managementteam. Of the 14 individuals who comprise the management committee, three arewomen.

• The women’s self-confidence has increased as the project has made them stand outas role models for their peers

• In political terms, the women have become more aware of their rights and responsi-bilities.

71. Good Practice weblink http://www.tumanitenda.co.uk/72. Information on the Jola community http://www.accessgambia.com/information/jola.html



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• Men have become more involved in domestic tasks such as fetching water and clean-ing. Many now work in activities related to gardening, which were previously only per-formed by women.The women now have access to jobs that were traditionallyperformed by men, such as work in the commercial cultivation of cassava, participa-tion in the Management and Executive Committees, and employment as in waitress-es in the hotel’s restaurant.


AND DECENT WORK

• The women have received training in health and hygiene, house-keeping, the manage-ment of hotel reservations, customer service, climate change, sustainable develop-ment and IT.This allows them to deconstruct certain ideas founded on the basis ofbiological sexconcerning the tasks that women and men should undertake.

• Two women members of the initiative, the camp manager and a housekeeper, partic-ipated in a gender training course conducted by the Forum for African WomenEducationalist -The Gambia73 (FAWEGAM).

• The initiative’s administration organises monthly gender sensitisation meetings withthe community on gender related themes.

• Whereas women tended to be hired as temporary workers, given the training theyundergone, they now have acquired they are beginning to have a better focus andsome have already been given permanent employment status.

• According to the women themselves, the initiative has allowed them to work in amore secure and responsible environment, and on a more long-term basis.

• The employment opportunities created by the initiative fosters optimism and estab-lishes more cordial work relationships between women and men.This is because theproject has generated spaces for participation and mutual reflection, while favouringteamwork. Moreover, training in gender issues has played a key role in developingthese spaces.

73. See http://www.peacebuildingportal.org/index.asp?pgid=9&org=3615



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KËR CUPAAM AND THE POPENGUINE WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION(Senegal)Member institution of the project: National Organisation for the integration in Senegalese

Tourism (ONITS)


Geographical Zone Mbour Department,Thiès regionPopulation (zone) Between 4,500 and 5,000 people.Área rural/ Rural.urbana (zona)Ethnic groups (zone) The Serers, the main ethnic group of this area, live in the west of

central Senegal.They are Senegal’s most numerous ethnic group afterthe Wolofs and the Fulanis, with approximately one in every sixSenegalese identifying with this group.

Main religion/ 85% Muslim, 13% Catholic and 2% Animist.Other religions (zone)Official language/ French (official language).Traditional languages are Serer and Wolof.Other dialects (zone)Principal economic Livestock breeding, fishing and tourism.activities (zone)Environmental Overall, Senegal loses 80,000 hectares of land each year due to context (country) agriculture.The mangroves suffer 50% more degradation per

year due to the over-exploitation of natural resources anddrought.The negative impact on the land is concerning, particularlyas it triggers food shortages and threatens the population’s foodsovereignty.

Social context The UNDP Human Development Index (HDI 2011) places Senegal at(country) number 135 of a total of 187 countries. Average life expectancy

is 60 years.The main causes of death are infectious diseases andpremature births.The average age for marriage in rural areas is 14,and 25 in urban zones.The minimum salary is under 50 euros permonth.



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Relevant information Notable information includes a quota law, which facilitates the related to gender participation of women in elections and in spaces related to national

politics, and the Gender Equality Strategy74. Also important is theestablishment of an Observatory75,the Ministry of Gender, and the Senegalese Women’s Council76, that aims to promote theintegration of a gender perspective into the social fabric of Senegal.

Overall tourism The rich natural landscape constitutes one of the fundamentalsituation (zone) attractions for tourism development in the area.Tourism

infrastructure in Mbour is comprised of 39 hotels, 36 residences and 82 lodges .The sector’s limitations related to the lack of “tourismculture”, the difficult economic situation and a lack of qualifiedpersonnel.Certain negative impacts have been identified, such as drugs, prostitution, juvenile delinquency and sexually-transmitteddiseases78.

Percentage of illiterate 67.1%women (country) )79

Percentage of illiterate 47.9%men (country) 80

Principal events The history of the Popenguine Community is marked by religious (zone) events, such as the annual pilgrimage to the Virgin Mary,

begun in 1888.Since 1981, this pilgrimage has brought togethertens of thousands of people to pray to the Virgin.The pilgrimagewas initiated by Pierre Faye, an ex-commander of the Senegalesearmy.

GOOD PRACTICE DATA

Name of the initiative81: Kër Cupaam and the Popenguine Women’s AssociationDate of initiation 1988Type of initiative Protection of nature andthe Popenguine natural reserve, lodgings and

ecotourism.Funding Self-financed.Number of women 129Number of men 9

74. National Strategy for Gender Equality http://www.sengenre-ucad.org/strategie_nationale.pdf (in French)75. See UNDP - Senegal and Gender http://www.sengenre-ucad.org/test2/english1/index.htm76. See Senegalese Women’s Council http://www.cosef.org/ (in French)77. See Social and Economic Situation of the Thiès Region http://www.ansd.sn/publications/annuelles/SES_Region/SES_Thies_2008.pdf (in French)78. See The Mbour General Report www.assises-senegal.info/IMG/doc/Rapport_de_Mbour.doc (in French)79. http://www.ansd.sn/senegal_indicateurs.html (in French)80. http://www.ansd.sn/senegal_indicateurs.html (in French)81. For more information see: http://www.rebelion.org/hemeroteca/africa/senegal140203.htm (in Spanish)


Presentación The Popenguine based initiative began in 1988, due to the efforts of of the initiative the local activist OulimataThiaw. She mobilized other local women

for the purposes of environmental conservation, promoting ecotourismand guaranteeing biodiversity. Accommodation lodges now exist fortourists who wish to enjoy the area in a sustainable manner.129 women and one man work in the initiative, while a further 8 menparticipate as volunteers.



• The women have improved their capacity for negotiating with their families and, aboveall, with their communities.They have also benefited from formal organized work bothin their professional and personal lives.The women have access to natural and culturalresources.They disseminate their culture andheritage, while working from a woman’sperspective.

• The women can assert their rights and enjoy the benefits of citizenship by taking deci-sions related to the initiative and the community As such, the women have been ableto design and carry out projects.

• Collaborative spaces have emerged, as have those fostering solidarity betweenwomen and men.The positive impacts of the women’s new role in protecting theenvironment are recognised and acknowledged.

• The benefits of greater environmental protection for women, men, girls and boys,made possible by the pioneering activities of the women working in the initiative, aregaining recognition.


AND DECENT WORK

• Training spaces have increased for women, girls and boys.• Rural flight has decreased due to the availability of work and the well-being that the

initiative has fostered for the entire community.• To improve the management of the Association, both male and female members

received training on environmental protection, administration, seed and plant produc-tion, heritage management and recycling.

• Meetings for the purposes of training and the exchange of experiences have beenini-tiated, for instance, a workshop on Genetically-Modified Organisms and Food Safety82:the management of risks and the public participation, was held in 2003.

• Since 2000, Ker Cupaam has also organised IT courses, and a library, for the exchangeof ideas, debates and teaching, with Internet access, and

• Mixed workshops were organized to update both men and women on the initiative’snew proposals, activities, and developments to prevent conflicts between women andmen (wives/husbands).

82. For more information, see: http://www.bede-asso.org/lang/fr/nos_actions/actions_pedago/information/for-mations.php (in French) http://www.wrm.org.uy/subjects/women/textFE.pdf (in French)

Presentation of Good Practices Tourism as an Opportunity

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Recommendations for Action


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Based on the strengths of the GPs regarding gender issues, vocational training anddecent work, the objective of this chapter is to propose recommendations for actionthat can contribute to realizing gender equality and women’s empowerment in therealm of sustainable tourism.The guidelines outlined below need not necessarily be car-ried out in this order and they may overlap. Furthermore, the proposals are general innature and are not specific for each good practice presented.

Overall, the greatest positive impact of sustainable tourism in these GPs has beento enable women to access sources of income (although this is not equivalent todecent work), training, and spaces related to decision making in their communities.This has had a series of positive effects in terms of the processes linked to anincrease in female leadership, self-esteem and negotiating power in the public anddomestic spheres.

The GPs displayed positive results in terms of gender with regards to the followingissues:

• economic empowerment,• greater participation of women in the public sphere,• women’s increased influence and leadership in public decision-making spaces,• challenging gender roles and stereotypes in the workplace, and• challenging gender roles and stereotypes in the home .

Although the majority of the good practices did not benefit from a process clearlylinked to the gender perspective, the training provided during the course of the GPswas fundamental in yielding positive results, whether in a planned or spontaneous fash-ion, in terms of gender equality and women’s empowerment. .

Next we present the six axes on which we group the action guidelines to achieve gen-der equality in sustainable tourism initiatives:

• Carry out an identification phase that is sensitive to gender.• Ensure that vocational training challenges gender roles and stereotypes,• Specify measures to ensure equality in participation, management and decision-

making.• Consider the sexual division of labour as a category of analysis.• Undertake actions to identify the roles and stereotypes that impede equality among

people.• Carry out an extensive training in gender and women’s rights.



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1. Carry out an identification phase that is sensitive to gender

The use of gender sensitive83 tools and indicators are essential to identify and analysethe needs and priorities of all persons, particularly those related to women.

To carry out a gender-sensitive identification phase, one should analyse the followingaspects:

• Roles (who does what) - access and control (who has what),• The interests, potential, limitations and demands of individuals, families and groups,• The practical and strategic needs of women and men,• Obstacles to the participation of women and men,• Differentiated problems and solutions. One cannot assume a priori that the problems

faced by women are the same as those faced by men, nor that solutions employedwill have the same impact on all persons.

• Useful elements for promoting the quantity and quality of women’s participation inthe community,

• An analysis of violations of the rightto equality, particularly in relation to the rightsofthe most disadvantaged groups in this regard (girls, old women, indigenous women),and

• Existing legislation and norms related to equality, work, the environment, tourism, andthe corresponding degree of commitment of local, regional, national and internation-al institutions.

Resources: tools and methodologies which are sensitive to gender.

• Tools for Integrating a Gender Perspective of the World Bank: http://web.world-bank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTGENDER/0,,contentMDK:21358556~menuPK:3851633~pagePK:210058~piPK:210062~theSitePK:336868,00.html

• Guide for tools used in gender mainstreaming in the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme:http://www.undp.org/women/publications.shtml

• Publications related to the empowerment of women in the United NationsDevelopment Programme:http://www.undp.org/women/mainstream/

• Guide for the integration of gender equality in the development cooperation of theEuropean Commission. In:

• http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/sp/gender-toolkit/index.htm

83. See recommended thematic bibliography linked to gender planning.



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2. Ensure vocational training that challenges gender roles

Integrating the gender focus in vocational training implies, among other things, consider-ing and analysing the gender roles and the power relations that exist in a specific placeand in a concrete discipline.This focus underscores that the definition and early assign-ment of gender roles strengthens and increases inequalities, conditions gender identities,and increases the gender gap between women and men.

It is vital that vocational training in sustainable tourism does not generate or reinforceunequal gender roles and stereotypes.This implies determining and taking into account,obstacles that prevent or impede the professional development of women and men atany of stage the training process. For instance, men should be provided with trainingopportunities in skills traditionally associated with women’s work in tourism, such ashousekeeping, cooking and customer service. Similarly, women should be offered trainingin entrepreneurship, management, access to credit, accounting, leadership, group learningtechniques, organisational dynamics and innovation.

Vocational training which reinforces neither gender roles nor gender identities couldimprove the quality of women’s participation in decision-making processes.The followingrecommendations for action deal with this point:

• Conduct a gender analysis of the specific context of the training,• Understand the inequalities present in the specific sector related to the training,• Ensure the balanced participation of women and men in the training process,• Consider the characteristics of the economic sector, for example, of the handicrafts sec-

tor and of the companies operating therein, while analysing the position occupied bywomen and men, associated advantages and disadvantages, the relationships that existbetween them, their distinctive contributions and skills, factors that perpetuate existingdiscriminationsand elements which either facilitate or impede equal participation andintegration,

• Reflect on whether different types of skills have been taken into account, including socialskills and attitudes as well as technical skills necessary for analysing the existence of gen-der roles that make certain duties invisible,

• Take into account and value the knowledge gained from the social roles traditionallyassigned to women,

• Determine whether women depend professionally on others (in a direct relationship ofdependence and subordination), whether they are independent, or whether they workin a team,

• Implement methodologies that foster attitudes conducive to good professional per-formance, such as communication, the ability to conduct oneself and speak in public, thedesire to succeed etc.,

• Undertake positive action in cases where women’s participation in vocational training isweak or non-existent, and

• Facilitate access to training, for instance through byimplementing a system that fostersconciliation, such as: nurseries, areas for the elderly and persons with disabilities, as wellas economic assistance (transport and food).



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3. Specify measures to ensure gender equality in participation,management and decision-making

This is a basic requirement for ensuring that women and men enjoy have equal repre-sentation, and that women are valued in this area. To ensure equality in participation,management and decision-making, the following actions are recommended: promotethe quality of women’s participation to enable them to participate in, and exercise influ-ence over, the public sphere84 by encouraging their work outside the home and theirparticipation in decision-making within their communities regarding issues like infra-structures, health care, education, land use, etc.

• Strengthen women’s leadership and self-esteem through workshops which are aimedat entrepreneurs and that have integrated gender components. In this way, it is pos-sible to understand the advantages and problems faced by women and men , individ-ually and collectively, terms when undertaking economic activities,

• Ensure a balance between the number of women and men involved in all activitiesand strategies related to the initiative, as well as in the community bodies relateddirectly or indirectly with the project,

• Ensure that women participate in all local meetings without censure, in terms of thequantity and quality of their contributions,

• Promote models of participative entrepreneurial ventures like cooperatives, since thiscould influence an increase in the value accorded to the rights and skills of womenengaged in business activities in decision-making spaces related to the initiative, thecommunity and personal lives, and

• Strengthen the economic empowerment of women, as this offers excellent opportu-nities for them to influence and lead initiatives at the communal level, and to encour-age other groups of women to undertake similar ventures.

4. Consider the sexual division of labour as a category of analysis

The sexual division of labour is among the most significant obstacles which must beovercome in order to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment the worldover. Projects undertaken in the framework of sustainable tourism should regard thesexual division of labour as a category of analysis in their actions and strategies, accept-ing the challenging nature of conducting such a type of analysis.The following guidelinesfor action are recommended:

• Apply and implement tools which measure time management, in order to know howmany hours women and men spend on domestic work,

• Analyse what type of domestic tasks can be shared between women and men,

84.The access of women to the public sphere does not always imply processes that contribute to the impro-vement of the quality of the participation.



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• Analyse the ways in which sustainable tourism can contribute to a new distributionof domestic tasks, for example by providing a nursery managed by the initiative, and

• Analyse the best way of reorganising the project’s budget to reflect the economiccontribution of unpaid work, which is performed mainly by women and which is indis-pensable and vital to carrying outthe initiative.

5. Undertake actions to identify the roles and stereotypes thatimpede equality among peopleSustainable

peopleSustainable tourism should adopt a proactive role in contributing to gender equalityand women’s empowerment.The actions involved in achieving this objective require knowl-edge, planning and professional expertise in gender issues.Tourism initiatives could challengegender roles in the following manner:

• Carry out awareness raising activities to prompt everyone to question gender roles in thework place, such as workshops and role-playing, both mixed andsegregated,

• Employ women and men in non-traditional jobs that break with gender roles,• Train men and women in non-traditional skills, and• Provide possibilities for career advancement and promote women to higher levels of man-

agement positions.

6. Carrying out extensive training in gender Training in gender is an indispensable tool to reinforce the results of sustainable tourisminitiatives in terms of gender equality and women’s empowerment. It would be some-what illogical to embark on initiatives related to women, gender, development and sus-tainable tourism without clearly linking these concepts. To do so, it is necessary toundertake preliminary training on the interaction between gender and human develop-ment, in order to later foster more profound understanding of the relationship betweengender and sustainable tourism. This knowledge will provide basic tools required toaddress some of the structural causes of poverty,gender inequality and discriminationagainst women.

As such, undertaking training activities related to gender constitutes the principal con-stant for the recommendations and guidelines previously discussed, which seek toachieve gender equality and to empower women.This training should not go only befor women or the individuals engaged in the tourism initiative. To achieve a positiveimpact, it should also be directed at:

• workers employed in the initiative, including the team responsible for its coordinationand management,

• members of the community where the initiative is based,• institutions that conduct vocational training in tourism for the initiative, and • donor intuitions related to the initiative.



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The gender training should be adapted to each particular context and be conductedby a specialist, preferably with a background in tourism. It should cover at least the fol-lowing subjects:

1. Basic concepts in gender equality and women’s empowerment.2.The legal framework of national and international protection of human rights, such

as international regulations related to women and gender equality, as well as theConvention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW,1979), the Beijing Declaration and its Platform for Action (1995) and the MillenniumDevelopment Goals (2000).

3. Relations between development, sustainability and gender.4. Decent work from a gender perspective: gender roles, sexual division of labour, etc.5. Promotion of the leadership and independence of women.6. Gender sensitive budgets, i.e. those which use the following key questions as a refer-

ence:• Does the budget cover gender needs? • What impact does the budget have on gender equality and women’s empower-

ment?• Does the budget take into account activities that increase gender equality in a con-

sistent manner?• Does the budget include or make visible reproductive activities that are essential to

the development of productive activities?• Does the budget consider an intermediary and final evaluation of the initiative,

measuring its strengths and/or weaknesses related to gender?

Resources: gender-responsive budgets.

• Budget and Gender in Latin America and the Caribbeanhttp://www.presupuestoygenero.net/ (in Spanish)

• Gender Responsive Budgeting and the Reproductive Rights of Women:A ResourcePack http://www.unifem.org/materials/item_detail.php?ProductID=85&lang=spn

• Ensuring Gender Responsive Budgetshttp://www.endvawnow.org/es/articles/317-asegurar-presupuestos-sensible-al-genero-.html (in Spanish)


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6. Recommended thematic bibliography

Tourism, Gender and Women

• FERGUSON (2011) ‘Promoting Gender Equality and Empowering Women? Tourismand the third Millennium Development Goal’. Current Issues in Tourism 14 (3), April2011: 235 - 249, published online March 2011.

• FERGUSON (2010).Tourism Development and the Restructuring of SocialReproduction in Central America. Review of International Political Economy, 17(5),860-888.

• FERGUSON (2010). Interrogating ‘gender’ in development policy and practice: TheWorld Bank, tourism and microenterprise in Honduras. International Feminist Journalof Politics, 12(1), 3-24.

• GENTRY (2007). Belizean women and tourism work: Opportunity or impediment?Annals of Tourism Research, 34 (2), 477-496.

• HENRICE, J (2007). “Género, turismo y exportación: ¿llamando a la plata en el Perú?”(Gender, Tourism and Exports: Calling Silver in Peru?), Available: http://www.scielo.org.pe/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0254-92122007000100004

• KEMPADOO (1999). Tourism as Sex Work in the Caribbean. Rowman & Littlefield,Oxford, United Kingdom.

• KINNAIRD (1994).Tourism: A Gender Analysis, United Kingdom, John Wiley & Son.• LARA, S (2001). “Desarrollo turístico: ¿una oportunidad para las mujeres?”(Tourism

Development: An opportunity for women?), Available: http://www.eclac.org/mujer/proyectos/ gtz/publicaciones/word_doc/desarr ollotur.pdf

• MORENO ALARCÓN (2010). “La Insostenibilidad del Turismo Sostenible en CaboVerde: la importancia de la planificación turística con Enfoque de Género en CaboVerde” (The lack of sustainability of sustainable tourism in Cape Verde: the impor-tance of tourism planning with a gender perspective in Cape Verde). In Rocha Rito,Brígida (coord.). Turismo: potencialidades, constrangimientos e impactos. Centro deEstudios Africanos del Instituto Universitario de Lisboa.

• SPARRER M (2003). “Género y turismo rural. El ejemplo de la costa coruñesa”(Gender and Rural Tourism.The example of Coruña’s coast), Available: http://revistas.um.es/turismo/article/view/19441/18801

• SWAIN, M (1995). Gender in tourism, Annals Tourism Research, vol.22.• SWAIN, M (2005). Las dimensiones de género en la investigación sobre turismo:Temas

globales, perspectivas locales, Política y Sociedad (Gender Dimensions in TourismResearch: Global Themes, Local Perspectives),Vol. 42.

• VARGAS, M (s/n). “Turismo: El género hace la diferencia” (Tourism: Gender Makes aDifference), Available: http://www.generoyambiente.org/arcangel2/documentos/157.pdf

• UNWTO AND UN WOMEN (2010). “Global Report on Women in Tourism 2010”,Available: http://www.e-unwto.org/content/j133q0/fulltext.pdf


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Planning, Gender and Development

• BARRIG Y WEHKAMP, 1994: Sin Morir en el Intento: experiencias de planificación degénero en el desarrollo (Without Dying in the Attempt: Experiences in GenderPlanning in Development), Lima, NOVIB/Entre Mujeres.

• CARBALLO DE LA RIVA, 2006: Género y Desarrollo (Gender and Development),Madrid, La Catarata.

• EUROPEAN COMMISSION. EUROPEAID OFFICE FOR COOPERATION. AidDelivery Methods.Volume 1. Project Cycle Management Guidelines: March 2004, Eu-ropean Commission. Available: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/reports/pcm_guide-lines_2004_en.pdf.

• EUROPEAN COMMISSION. EUROPEAID OFFICE FOR COOPERATION. Guidefor the Integration of Gender Equality in the Development Cooperation of the EC.Available: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/sp/gender-toolkit/index.htm

• FERNÁNDEZ- LAYOS, 2008: Planificación y Formulación de Acciones de Cooperaciónal Desarrollo desde el Enfoque de Género (Planning and Formulating Actions forCooperation for Development from a Gender Perspective), Madrid, Paz y Desarrollo.

• GÓMEZ Y SAINZ, 2010 (8th ed.): El Ciclo del Proyecto de Cooperación al Desa-rrollo (The Cycle of the Cooperation for Development Project), Madrid, CIDEAL.

• LÓPEZ MÉNDEZ and SIERRA LEGUINA, 2001: Integrando el análisis de género enel desarrollo. Manual para técnicos de cooperación (Integrating a Gender Analysis inDevelopment. Manual for Cooperation Technicians). AECIIUDC/ UCM, Madrid.

• LÓPEZ Y ALCALDE, 1999: Relaciones de género y desarrollo. Hacia la equidad de lacooperación (Relations between Gender and Development.Towards Equitability ofCooperation). IUDC/UCM-La Catarata. Madrid.

• RUIZ BRAVO and BARRIG, s/n: Lineamientos Metodológicos para la Incorporación delEnfoque de Género en el Seguimiento y Evaluación de proyectos (MethogolodicalGuidelines for Incorporating a Gender Perspective in the Monitoringand Evaluation ofProjects).

• MOSER, 1993: Gender Planning and Development: theory, practice and training,Routledge, London.

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Tourism

as an Opportunity

Good Practices



Case Studies from Bolivia, Nicaragua, The Gambia, Morocco and Senegal

The project “VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM”is intended to design, elaborate, diffuse and exchange vocational train-ing and raising awareness instruments in the field of sustainable tourismspecifically adapted to Gambia, Morocco, Senegal, Bolivia andNicaragua, particularly emphasizing the empowerment of women andtheir access and promotion to decent and stable work.

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Set up in 1997, the Fundación Internacional y para Iberoamérica de Admin-istración y Políticas Públicas (FIIAPP – International and Ibero AmericanFoundation for Administration and Public Policies) is a public institution atthe service of State foreign action in the field of international cooperation fordevelopment. The foundation promotes democratic governance and socialcohesion through institutional strengthening and skills development in orderto promote public leadership.

This project is financed by the European Union

Co-funded by

tourism as an opportunity - fiiapp€¦ · tourism as an opportunity good practices in sustainable...

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