Introduction

This chapter aims to understand flexible gender identities and roles. The after-effects of colonialism, and the peripheral position of poor countries of the South and those with economies in transition, exacerbate the effects of gender discrimination. The pressure on gender relations of the changing status of women, particularly of young women, combined with growing impoverishment at the household level, is crucial to the success or failure of development policies. Gender relations have been interrogated in terms of the way development policies change the balance of power between women and men. Although Bangladesh has achieved gender parity at primary school level, adult literacy is higher for men at 62 per cent compared to 53 per cent for women. The aim of gender equality recognizes that men and women often have different needs and priorities, face different constraints and have different aspirations. The focus on gender in development policies emerged first from the major national and international aid agencies.