Women within Development Projects - The Case of Turkey Local Agenda 21 Program

Abstract: Theoretical frameworks of women in development (WID), gender and development (GAD) and Empowerment have influenced the discourses and practices of development projects on women’s participation since the 1970s. The main concern has been whether development projects’ inclusion of women can promote gender equality and women’s empowerment rather than participation of women in numbers. In this study, I analyze this debate with the case of Turkey Local Agenda 21 (LA-21) Program. The analysis explores the Program’s role on women’s participation to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment based on the theoretical approaches. It shows how practices and discourses of the Program on women’s participation have been influenced from the interaction among global, national and local contexts. It concludes that the Program, having both WID and GAD components, has the potential to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment through women’s participation.