Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 6.2
Comparison of Women's Parliamentary Representation
Iceland
Kenya
Nigeria
% of parliamentary seats occupied by
women
10
35 (2000)
43 (2010)
4 (2000)
10 (2010)
3 (2000)
7 (2010)
However, knowing that the gender dynamics of specific benefit-sharing cases tend
to reflect the overall political situation in the region, those striving to develop truly
fair benefit-sharing processes would do well to pay close attention to the political
context.
6.3 The Question of Gender in Indigenous Societies
The presence of gender hierarchies in indigenous societies exemplified by male
domination of the political domain has been observed in both the San and Kani
societies, but is a relatively recent development that is closely linked to the domi-
nant mode of production and division of labour (Kelkar and Nathan
1991
;
Watanabe
1968
; Leacock
1983
).
11
In early indigenous societies that engaged in food gathering or horticulture
as the main economic activity, men and women worked together (Shanthi
1999
;
Hitchcock et al.
2004
), and their economic and social roles were frequently inter-
changeable. The division of labour was flexible, both economically and socially,
and women's work was valued as much as that of men.
The experience of the Kalahari San is illustrative. Gendered structures were insti-
tutionalized when they shifted from foraging-hunting societies to sedentary settle-
ments. In the sedentarization phase of societal transformation, the economic division
of labour changed, primarily as a result of the introduction of animal husbandry and
men taking jobs on cattle farms. Men acquired livestock and gained more control
over these new economic resources. Previously women's economic contribution had
been valued equally with that of men, but in this altered societal phase, women's
work was frequently of lower economic value (Felton and Becker
2001
).
The gendered social division of labour became rigid, with men less involved in
child caring and household chores, and women's autonomy and influence eroded.
This was exacerbated by the loss of mobility in the fixed settlements and the emer-
gence of economic differentiation between individuals. The approach of external
agents such as development workers and state agencies was to deal with men as
the heads of households, which further weakened women's economic and social
status. For example, agreements were made with men, and the men were given
11
The emergence of a specific mode of production in early societies was influenced by the inter-
actions of factors such as the natural environment, the food sources, climate, technology, popula-
tion size, material culture and social organization.
