Handout 14G: Ways to involve women in health projects

· Asking, listening and observing to identify women's needs.

· Identifying women's roles, opportunities and problems.

· Identifying cultural, social, family and other patterns which affect women positively and negatively.

· Getting womens' help in assessing the potential positive and negative effects of projects on women and children, particularly the likelihood of access to project benefits.

· Involving women in the decision-making aspects of project planning, implementation and evaluation. Encourage participation of women in village meetings when development projects are discussed; if socially unacceptable for women to attend with men hold meetings for women to discuss development project.

· Identifying, Training and working with women leaders and supportive men.

· Identifying and using local organizations traditionally supportive of women.

· Training and encouraging women counterparts to act as communication channels for information and resources generally controlled by men.

· Providing training and other programs or activities to improve the quality of life of rural women in traditional roles, (such as increasing status, income, income generating activities, social rewards).

· Helping government, other developers and community people understand and support the important role women can play in development.

· Sharing information and analyzing failures and successes of projects directed to women's needs.

(Adapted from: Small Scale Beekeeping (Peace Corps) Session 31, page 217)