102 Book Reviews
effectively provided that the experiential and cultural contextual differences are
taken into account
The fresh approach to conventional mourning theory and self psychology,
applied to the specific context of AIDS, makes this a valuable book for the
counsellor working with AIDS affected couples. It is also of value to people
themselves experiencing mv and AIDS in their loved ones and or themselves.
They can learn from the experiences of others sensitively expressed within the
book, and be assisted to cope with their own emotions and relationships as they and
their loved ones progress on the "AIDS Journey".
Reviewed by Helen Jackson, Director of Research, School of Social Work, Harare.
Two Halves Make a Whole: BalancingG~nder Relations in Development (1991 )
Canadian Council for International Cooperation, MATCH International Centre,
Association quebecoise des organismes de cooperation intemationale, Ottawa:
CCIC, MATCH and AQOC,110, IncI. Bibliography
This is a handbook intended to assist development workers in integrating a gender
analysis into their projects. The authors have wisely decided not to attempt to be
all things to all people, and so this handbook is not the place to look for data on
women and development in specific sectors or in specific regions. Instead, it
focuses on disseminating the concepts and types of analysis employed by people
who wish to understand gender and development and on ways of integrating these
concepts into the work of development organisations.
The handbook is divided into two parts - first, an intreduction to the ideas
and techniques associated with gender analysis of development, and second,
suggestions for developing a training programme for development professionals
to sensitise them to gender. Itwas designed and created in Canada, and appears to
address itself primarily to Western development workers, who do not have a great
deal of experience in actually living in the Third World. This handbook therefore
may not be completely appropriate for use in some settings.
The first section provides a readable and well-organised summary of the
ideas found in much of the literature on women and development. It is divided into
theory (assumptions and concepts) and tools (ways of translating these concepts
into analysis of existing situations, and building on this analysis, the design, implementation
of programmes that address the situation. Many of these "tools"
consist simply of knowing the right questions to ask). This first section stresses the
difference between WID (women in development) and GAD (gender and development).
The authors of the book make the case that GAD is a more useful and
Book R~v~ws 103
accurate approach, and that it lends itself more easily to social change and trans
formation than does WID, which they identify with the integration of women into
existing systems and structures. WID they say, focuses only on women, whereas
GAD focuses on relations between men and women and is thus more holistic and
'incorporates both genders (hence, perhaps, the name of this handbook). While this
distinction is fairly clear on a theoretical level, it is not apparent what the difference
is between a WID and a GAD approach when it comes to actual project design. The
danger of cultural imperialism, in the form of dictating, or being accused of
dictating what should be the "right" relations between women and men, is also
quite apparent and is dealt with in this handbook in a rather cursory and abstract
way. (In order to avoid the danger of dictating, or being accused of dictating, inappropriate
cultural models, it would have been helpful if the authors had included
in the "tools" section more information on consultation with target groups in the
pre-implementation stage).
The second section addresses the practical problems of implementing
GAD training programmes. It provides schedules and outlines of activities for
training sessions of different lengths discussed as a way of making concrete
abstractions of the GAD approach. These guidelines are sufficiently detailed to be
useful even for relatively inexperienced facilitators, yet are not so rigid that they
would inhibit creativity or improvisation. A bibliography is provided, but it is
unfortunately rather scanty and does not contain many references which provide
empirical information about a particular sector or region - the sort of information
which could be very valuable when attempting to actually employ GAD analysis
in one's work.
A particular strength of this section is the inclusion of activi ties that require
readers to consider how they can change their own organisations in order to integrate
GAD into the values and outlook of the organisation which might promote
or impede the full integration of gender analysis. Ideally, GAD will then become
something fully rooted in the philosophy and behaviour of an organisation, rather
than something tacked on to projects, to be superseded by the next development
fad.
In its emphasis on organisational transformation, its clear and useful
presentation of GAD concepts and its guidelines for implementing GAD training
and sensitisation programmes, this is quite a useful publication. Its utility as a
training handbook is probably greater in Canada than in Africa, but it can still be
valuable as a reference work.
Reviewed by Amy Kaler, Chindunduma Government High School, Shamva, Zimbabwe.