PIDE On Gender

Gender is a term that is variously used by different people. From those shy of using the word ‘sex’ to those who define it differently. If we try to categorise all the different usages, we can put them into three major groups. One, the physiological and bodily aspects (sex); two, the self-defined identity; and three, the norm-related identity, which the American Psychological Association very aptly refers to as the ‘sex role’—a role assigned by the norms based on a society’s perception of a person’s sex. If we look at the research done at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) on ‘gender’, we see that it is mainly taken as a social construct. Since 1957, PIDE, through its research published in its flagship journal, The Pakistan Development Review, and other research products, like the working papers, monographs and conferences, has centred on issues critical for women in development (WID), women and development (WAD), and gender and development (GAD). Among WID, the focus has been on female employability, economic opportunities, and modernisation. Among WAD, the focus has remained on researching structural forces depriving women of their agency and empowerment and the impact of neoliberalism on women’s lives. Research on GAD has centred on themes such as gender mainstreaming, women’s strategic and practical needs (health, skills and education), inclusivity, opportunities, and institutional changes and responses.