ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the extent to which social conditioning affects womens' participation in the home, the community and suggests that a fuller examination of mens' gender interests is needed in order to facilitate meaningfull gender equity. The capacity of women to be involved in participatory processes and life outside the home generally is affected by their socialisation. The emphasis on public participation presupposes a capacity and willingness to engage in negotiation and debate, for example throughout the development planning process. However, since many women are effectively excluded from real decision-making in their home life, the reality is that women may choose to withdraw from the opportunity to be involved in participatory processes. Their status in the household will affect women’s' ability to participate outside the home and for many women the reality is that their main connection to the wider world is through the males of their household.
