Targeting Women or Transforming Institutions? Policy Lessons from NGO Anti-Poverty Efforts

While gender asymmetries have long been recognised in formal development policies, poverty-alleviation schemes generally display a discrepancy in incorporating the insights of gender analysis. This article explores the experience of NGOs which have successfully incorporated gender-awareness into the formulation of anti-poverty interventions. It shows that increasing poor women's organisational experience is critical to ensuring that their needs and perspectives inform the planning process. The article concludes that unless women are empowered to move beyond the `project-trap', and to take part in formulating policy and allocating resources, they will continue to be a marginalised category in development. This article is freely available as a chapter in Development with Women.