Reconsidering Gender Diversity in Economic Development

By Rachael Goodman and Sarah Kaplan

So far in this series we have looked at the different issues women and men face when they participate in economic development projects. But the experience of gender and gender discrimination is not limited to these two categories.

Gender is a social identity expressed through actions, clothing, demeanor, and other outward signs that are learned and reinforced from the day a person is born. It is often, but not necessarily, tied to bodily characteristics. Gender is both a personal identity—deeply felt and deeply engrained in individuals—and a social identity that shapes how people interact with others. Even within the categories of man and woman, there is a great deal of diversity in how gender is expressed in different places.

Full (paywalled) commentary in Stanford Social Innovation Review: Reconsidering Gender Diversity in Economic Development