Gender studies approaches to the relationships between religion and development

Abstract

The first part of this literature review introduces the main concepts and theoretical frameworks underpinning a gender-based approach to development. Mainstream work in the area of 'gender and development' is primarily concerned with issues such as the social differences between men and women, the economic marginalisation of women, or violence against women as a product of gender bias. However, studies in this field have not, on the whole, taken the impact of religious values, beliefs and organisations upon gender relations seriously. 'Gender and development' discourse is typically both materialist and secularist. Religion is often cited as an impediment to women's access to employment, healthcare or education, but the dynamics of this interaction are less often the research focus. It is argued that in the mainstream development literature there is a failure to engage with the ways in which some feminists across the globe seek to transform their traditions as a source of empowerment, as well as a lack of interest in the ways in which religion can inform alternative, sometimes more culturally appropriate, understandings of development. The second part of this review discusses research that is concerned with the impact of religion upon the types of concerns that form the content of gender-development debates.