WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT
An Inclusive Approach
Global Women's Forum
and
Women's Advancement Program
The Institute of Cultural Affairs 4750 North Sheridan
Road Chicago, Illinois 60640
Tel. (312) 7695635
Interdependent Project
Project
Frame
1. The Institute of Cultural Affairs has designed
a project of two interdependent programs aimed at the "poorest
of the poor" women of the world. The intent is to enable
these women to participate in furthering the worldwide Feminine
Movement and to benefit from its effects. The first program, the
Global Women's Forum, is concerned with awakening or raising the
consciousness level of these often forgotten women to the fact
and nature of the worldwide female revolution. The second
program, the Women's Advancement Program, directly engages these
women in their local community by enabling them to act out the
images and roles of the new woman through rebuilding the social
and economic environment of the female on the local level. Test
runs have been made on both of these programs witn very positive
results and the Institute of Cultural Affairs is now ready to
run a carefully planned, large scale feasibility check over a
period of six months.
2. The first month will be spent doing the set up
work for the project. The last or sixth month will be spent evaluating
the effort by drawing together the data and insights and planning
for future use of the programs. In the intervening four months
the programs will be executed in two different operational frames:
one for the Global Women's Forum and the other for the Women's
Advancement Program. The Global Women's Forum will hold 24 forums
over a four month period. In the first two month period, 12 forums
will be held in East Asia and in the second two months, 12 in
India. Of the 12 forums in East Asia, eight will be held in urban
centers and four in rural villages. I.owever, of the 12 forums
in India, four will be in urban centers and eight in rural villages.
During the concurrent four month period, the Women's Advancement
Program will be working in four villages which are actuating a
comprehensive socioeconomic Human Development Project. The
four villages will be selected from varied socioeconomic
settings in four different nations in order to comprehensively
test the feasibility of this program.
3. lIost people today, men as well as women, believe that the most profound historical happening of our time is the Feminine Revolution. The scope of it is so far reaching that women in every nation and circumstance, no matter how unaware, are experiencing its profound effect. The sobering issue that faces the ~eminine Revolution is tne same that lies at the root of all current world development. This tragedy is tnat 85% of the world's population live in an entirely
Inclusive Intent
Implementing A~ent
different universe than the remaining 15% of us who
have and control the health, the education, the tecnnical knowhow,
the resources, the monies, the means of production, and the general
essentials for the good life. This means that of the four billion
people in the world, 3.4 billion are suffering severe deprivation.
Some 1.7 billion of these in dire need are at the level of what
is meant by the 'poorest of the poor". Around 900, 00(:,
000 are female who live in the worst of all circumstances, perI,aps
the most abused and misused humans on earth. The women of the
15% who care must find a way to effectively bring depth awareness
of new possibilities to these millions of oppressed local women.
More than that, practical means must lie developed for these local
women to participate directly in tZ~e revolution, not simply through
cries of protestation but by giving real form to the new possibilities
for women on the local level. To assist in this essential effort
is the underlyinp intent of the dual program proposed by
the ICA in this brief.
4. The Institute of Cultural Aftairs is .ln intraglobal
research and development, training and demonstration group concerned
with the human factor in world development. Originally incorporated
in the State of Illinois as a notforprofit corporation,
the Institute presently has headquarters in Brussels, Bombay,
Chicago, Canberra, lion" ICong and Nairobi and is registered
in some 23 nations. ~nong other enterprises, the ICA is engaged
in compreh.ensive socioeconomic development on the local level.
This involves initiating and developing demonstration projects
witZn a plan for replication built into them. Currently, the rr!
citute has J6 such projects in 19 different nations, most located
in rural villages. The overall intent of the projects is to enable
the villages to become selfsustaining and selfdependent
and to nurture the selfconfirlence necess;lry for both.
Toward this end a staff of botn nationals and extranationals live
and work with.the local people for two years, actuating the locally
designed programs which cover such arenas as nutrition, sanitation,
immunization, functional education, family development, community
organization, intensified agriculture, light industry and loca]
commerce. The ICA's work is supported by private foundations,
corporations, concerned individuals, and by government departments
and agencies on the federal, state and municipal levels.
II
5. The Global Women's Forum is a one day working seminar
A .
Global
Women's
Forum
Operational
Frame
aimed first at awakening the participants to new
images of what lt means to be a woman in the postmodern
world, and second, at moving them toward effective engagement
in their own communities toward shaping the future of civilization.
The Forum is eight hours in length and divided into seven parts:
a 45 minute opening reception and a 45 minute closing plenary;
morning and afternoon workshops, each 105 minutes in length; a
30 minute presentation in the form of a "group talk"
preceding each workshop; and, finally, a two hour luncheon with
directed conversation. The reception is an informal morning tea
time with registration and introductions. The morning presentation
deals with new images of what it means to be a woman in the postmodern
world. The morning workshop involves the total group in a brainstorm
and gestaIting session on the subject of trends and issues that
relate to feminine liberation. The luncheon session is a celebrative
time when the women sing, eat together, and rehearse stories out
of their past which acknowledge the significant role women have
played within their community and in history at large. The afternoon
presentation focuses on the challenges and opportunities facing
women today. The participants divide into small work groups for
the afternoon workshop where they think through the next steps
necessary to assume an active role in the development of their
community and nation. The highlight of the day is the closing
plenary where reports are received from the working groupsand
the day is drawn together. At this point the intent is that the
participants have developed a sense of being a part of the women
in the world who are "on the move".
6. During a four month period, 24 Global Women's Forums will be held in five nations, in both urban and rural situations, for women who have known the benefits of the twentieth century and for women who have not. Three primary objectives of the Global l~omen's Forum are to be tested during this time. The first objective has to do with the applicability of the forum for both the educated women of the cities and the deprived women of the villages. The second has to do with testing the forum's effectivity as a participatory awaken ~ent event and as training in the forum methodologies. The third is to recruit sophisticated women from the urban forums to help lead the rural forums, thus ensuring their uxposure to the actual situation of their sisters in the villages. A consultant team of one western woman and one nonwestern woman will begin in East. Asia by holding 12 forums in the four nations of Korea, Taiwan, Philippines and Indonesia. EverY fortni~ht 3 forums
B.
Women's
Advancement
Program
will be held in a nation with an emphasis upon the
urban centers. One forum will be held in the nation's capitol,
the second in another urban center and the third will be held
in a village in which the ICA has already initiated a comprehensive
development project. Following the completion of the 12 forums
in East Asia the team will move to India where 12 forums will
be held in the state of tiaharashtra in the four divisions of
Bombay, Aurangabad, Pune, and Nagpur primarily in rural villages.
Each fortnight three forums will be held in a aivision; one in
the capitol and two in villages already engaged in development
as a part of the replication of human development projects across
Maharashtra state. One of the crucial aspects of this dynamic
will be to test the capability of the forum to enable the women
of the 15% to learn rapidly how to work side by side with the
85% using the forum methodologies. These 24 forums will provide
data necessary for refining the Global Women's Forum and at the
same time impact women in their role in the development process.
7. The practical design of the TIomen's Advancement Program is quite simple, although it may appear complex at first glance. This is because it is located in the midst of a comprehensive social and economic development project, its most significant uniqueness. In the Programmatic Chart, located in the Appendix, it is program #34 in the complex of programs. It is important to note that this program makes direct use of 16 other programs which have to do with structuring a human environment for women. The rational and imaginal charts on the Women's Advancement Program found in the Appendix show this focus. The program is a direct action strategy consisting of four major components and sixteen practical arenas. The first component is appropriate technology for women. Upgrading transport means, improving living conditions, promoting essential services and improving production tools provide the means whereby the oppressive nature of women's labor is relieved. The second component is appropriate involvement for women. This component provides the means for expanding social exposure, actuating family development, enabling community participation and improving employment opportunities, thus serving to alleviate unnecessary restrictions on women and their participation in village life. The third component is appropriate training for women. Through providing basic literacy, upgrading domestic management, developing leadership abilities and upgrading functional skills, women will emerge from a situation of imposed ignorance with the possibility and capability of assuming leadership within
Operational Frame
the village. The fourth component is appro?riats
caYe ror women. Improving primary medicine, providing maternal
care, ensuring preventive health and providing daycare structures
gives women the means by which they can overcome the severe physical
neglect they have experienced al~ their lives. Through this approach'
village women have the possibility, often for the first time,
to creatively assume responsibility for their own development,
the health and welfare of the family, the enrichment of community
life and the economic growth of the community which is 60 vital
for the development process. In summary, the external situation
in which women live is changed and even more importantly, the
women attain methods which allow them to become agents of that
change.
8. The operational frame of the Women's Advancement
Program requires the injection of catalytic agents from outside
the community as well as in ro~ved local staff persons. The catalytic
agents would include extra~national persons skilled in women's
development, a national staff person and a regional woman in training.
Their primary task is to identify women of the community who have
the possibility of becomiDg agents of change themselves. At least
5 such women would be located soon after the initiation of the
Program, using the geographic unit called a stake to provide a
ational frame for their choice. Their secondary task is to monitor
the rapid mobilization of the 16 programs mentioned above which
provide the enabling dynamic for Program #34. The tertiary task
of these five or more local agents of change would include involving
the women of the community not only in the arenas of health, education
and welfare but also in agriculture, commerce, and industry through
the action guilds shown in the Organizational Chart in the Appendix.
A particular emphasis will be placed on participation by women
in the General Assembly, Secretariat, economric and social comnissions
and in other dynamics where decis~on making takes place. In addition7
they would help organize special women's discussions End celebrative
occasions. Because this program goes on in the midst of development
involving all the people of the village, it can remain relatively
unobtrusive even as it proves to be powerfully effective.
III
9. There are five major anticipated benefits as a result of the t~'o programs: Global Women's Forum and th~ Umm~n ~ c
Anticipated
Benefits
Future
Pro; ec tion
AdvancemE,n Program. First, the women of the
com~`uniti~ in which these programs are held will benefit fro!n
both the fact of their awakenment and from the very practical
assistance provided as delineated in the rational chart of Program
't34 in the Appendix. Second, the Female Revol~ ution as a whole
will benefit insofar as t'nese two programs are able to demonstrate
the steps in concrete action which effect lasting change for women.
Third' the whole community benefits from a new surge of creativity
and effort that is injected into the community's ongoing development
plan by the women who choose to claim their new role in society.
Fourth, the i5% of women who represent the advantaged of the earth
gain a means of being of service to their disadvantaged sisters
through learning to lead forums and assisting in the lloments
Advancement Program. Fifth, these programs offer methodologies
for awakenment and engagement that can be utilized by any group
or individual concerned about the integration of women into the
overall process of development.
10. It is evident in any feasibility checlc that the model is being field tested for more extensive use. Upon completion of the feasibility phase of the two concurrent women's programs' the ICA will be in a position to design a long range plan available for mass use immediately. Impossible as this may seem, the eventual target can be nothing less than the 900,000,000 women who make up the poorest of the poor. This planning will take place after the sixth month evaluation of the project. Several possibilities which could be further developed at that time are: first, tile development of means to increase the effectivity and speed of making the Global Women's Forum available on a massive scale. This would involve a combination of training additional women staff, rapid upgrading of women staff on location where the ICA is currently operating and increasing the capability of the women consultants in varioi~s nations. Second, the Global Women's Forum could be made available to public and private agencies with a similar concern. This would make it possible to offer the program in locations where the ICA is not presently located. Third, the Women's Advancement Program can be expanded rapidly by its integration into the replication plans for the 19 different natlons where 36 Human Development Projects are current7y underway. For instance, in India alone, 250 such comprehensive village projects are to be initiated in 1978. Fourth, focusing Global Women's Forum on the urban educated women wili enable the national development effort by training concerned women
to worlc with the 85Z and thereby move toward uniting the \1omen's Movem~nt
Overall Costs
11. ~le total budget for the six montll feasibility
test of this dual program thrust for women is $84,490. The cost
for the Global Women's Forum component is $25,400 and for the
Women's Advancement Program, $49,300. The remaining $9,790 is
for the set up and evaluation of both components. The Budget Design
Chart, located in the Appendix, shows both the Program Arena Costs
as well as the Budget Categories of Personnel and Non Personnel
costs. Personnel costs are $25,740 and actuation and monitoring
costs are $59,490. Salaries include a Coordinator whose rate is
$1,000 per month, a Research Assistant at $800 and Consultants
at $600. The per diem while traveling is $15 per person per day
and logistics costs for meetings are $5 per person per day. The
qualified volunteer consUltants working with the ICA and the experience
of years of working at very low costs in Third World situations
has enabled this kind of budgeting. Although the average cost
per month over the six months is $14,082, the actual phasing of
costs will require $10,000 the first month, $30,000 the second,
$30,000 the fourth, and $14,450 the sixth and final month.
WOMEN'S ADVANCEM'~T PROGRAM
#34
A DIRECT ACTION STRATEGY FOR THE ASSISTANCE OF LOCAL WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD
IN THE CONTEXT OF COMDREHENSIVE SOC10ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT ON THE LOCAL LEVEL
2. Social
~ _ Exposure
A. WOMAN /_~ ~=~ ~\B. WOMAN
and her ~_ / 1 )~AMILY
'1. Transport ~_ Conditions~
/ Means / ~\ \\
/ / 15. Functional/ \~3. Basic \ ~ \
/ ~ Skills ___16. Day Care ~ Literacy \ ~\
/ /~/ / '\ \ \ \ \
1 ~ ~. J: 1 \
14. Emp/oyment 12 Preventive. ADVANCEMENT ~ 4. Primary ;. Family
~pportu li ier 1 ~ ~ j ~ 7
\ \11. Leadership ~v~~ _~
\ \ Development ~B. Maternal ~7. Domestic / /
~\ ~Caro Management /
D WOMAN~3 ProrJuction ~S ~and her
and her \ ~ __ ~COMMUNITY
/0 Commumty _
\ I,articipation /
1. C. A
CONSU LTANTS
