Gender-sensitive livelihoods promote self-governance by empowering women to make decisions about their own lives and the lives of their families. The ability to make these decisions is essential for building strong and vibrant democratic communities.

Here are some specific examples of how gender-sensitive livelihoods lead to community resiliency and self-governance:

• When women have access to education and employment, they are more likely to save money and invest in their communities. This can help to create jobs, boost the economy and improve the quality of life for everyone.
• When women are involved in decision-making, they are more likely to advocate for the needs of their families and communities. This can lead to policies and programmes that benefit everyone.
• When women have equal access to resources and opportunities, they are more likely to be able to protect themselves and their families from shocks and stresses. This can help to build stronger and more resilient communities.

Promoting gender-sensitive livelihoods

We can do several things to promote gender-sensitive livelihoods. For example:

• Invest in education and training for women and girls: This will give them the skills and knowledge they need to participate in the economy.
• Provide access to financial services for women: This will help them to start and grow their own businesses.
• Promote women’s participation in leadership roles: This can be done through quotas, mentoring programmes and other initiatives.
• Remove barriers to women’s economic participation: This includes addressing issues such as gender-based violence (GBV), childcare and unpaid care work.

Outcomes

On completion of this unit you will be able to:

• explain the importance of gender equality in developing a resilient local economy: How to achieve it through reorienting existing livelihoods and designing new livelihoods that are aligned to and/or based on climate actions and response.

To do this, you will consider the following topics:

• Gender-sensitive social enterprises
• Social enterprise for community self-reliance
• Self-governance and self-reliance for climate resiliency

Terminology

Gender-sensitive livelihoods:  Gender-sensitive livelihoods are an approach to development that ensures that women and men have equal opportunities to participate in and benefit from economic activities. There are no barriers that prevent them from reaching their full potential.

Self-governance:  Self-governance can be seen at all levels of society. For example, families can make their own protocols and routines that reflect their accepted norms and practices. Communities can make their own protocols about what kind of businesses are allowed to operate in their area or how community spaces and facilities are used.

Community resiliency:  Community resiliency is the ability of a community to:

• bounce back from challenges and crises, and
• adapt to and overcome difficult circumstances.

A resilient community is one that has strong social networks and relationships, where people know and trust each other, and where resources and support are available for those who need them.

Access:  From a gender perspective, access means that women and men have the same opportunities to use and benefit from the available resources, services and opportunities.

Self-reliance:  Self-reliance means being able to think for yourself, make your own decisions, and solve your own problems without needing help from others. It also means being able to take care of yourself and those around you.

It is especially important for people who live in difficult or challenging circumstances. When you are self-reliant, you are less likely to be affected by things that are outside of your control, such as job losses, economic downturns or natural disasters.

Social capital:  Social capital is the network of relationships and trust that exists within a community. It is the glue that holds a community together and helps it to function effectively.

For individuals, social capital can provide access to resources and opportunities, support and encouragement, and a sense of belonging.