| Popis: |
The present paper discusses the intersection and inter-connection of Islam, gender, and development policy and practice in Yemen since the 1990s. Special attention is paid to the complexity of how gender work reflects tension and continuity between aspiration and reality in the context of shifting meanings and perspectives in current human development theory. Not only are women from developing countries placed at the centre of development processes, but so their cultures are also discussed, as they are finally visible. In a number of developmental projects in Yemen, Islam now appears as an interesting means for gender and development advancement. However, there is still a gap between theory and practice when implementing these new perspectives in international development. The article spotlights how Yemeni women’s agency shaped and was shaped by a complex combination of shifting meanings, uses and effects of Islam, gender and development. It leads to the conclusion that religious and cultural considerations need to be taken into account, but with close attention paid to power relations and ensuing gender implications in terms of bargaining power. Research findings reaffirm the crucial role of the women’s movement in the process of social change towards gender transformations in Yemen. |
