Tracking Gender, Social Capital and Empowerment Nora Dudwick PRMPR December 5, 2006

What is social capital ? The social networks & norms through which individuals, households & groups access resources The cross-cutting ties of informal networks and formal civic organizations in a community that determine civic capacity Overlapping dimensions: groups and networks trust and solidarity collective action and cooperation  information and communication social cohesion and inclusion empowerment and political action Overlapping dimensions: groups and networks trust and solidarity collective action and cooperation  information and communication social cohesion and inclusion empowerment and political action

Why should we measure the impact of community development on SC? SC can enhance capacity of households and communities to proactively seek solutions to development problems SC can also exclude, skewing benefits of development SC should be monitored to examine: how different types of networks affect access to resources how the kind/degree of participation in different types of community groups shapes capacity for collective action Quantitative surveys can address group membership, access to information, levels of trust, etc. Qualitative methods examine process, power relationships, in/exclusion. causality, impact of values, norms, history Resources: toolkits on quan/qual methods (surveys, interviews, focus groups, institutional analysis (see materials table for handouts)

What is empowerment and why is it important? Empowerment: the capacity to make effective choices Empowerment is the outcome of interaction between: Asset-based agency: an actor’s ability to envisage and act on options Institution-based opportunity structure: the institutional context that helps or limits an actor’s options Why is empowerment important for development? The capacity to make effective choice is a basic human right and principle of development. Empowerment correlates positively with economic growth and poverty alleviation.

Using indirect indicators to measure empowerment Economic, human, informational, social and psychological assets - indirect indicators of agency, the capacity to make meaningful choices Indicators of institutional performance – indirect measure of opportunity structure Measures of formal institutional performance (transparency, responsiveness, openness, impartiality, efficiency, etc.) Assessment of informal institutions: effect of cultural values, social norms Mixed methods (indices, quant surveys, qual tools) optimal for understanding: how institutions facilitate/constrain opportunities the dynamic relationship between assets and opportunity structure Psychological assets: consciousness and the capacity to imagine, aspire Informational assets: e.g. access to media and to extension services Organisational assets: civic association; economic cooperation; social mobilisation Material assets: productive capital Financial assets: income and credit Human assets: health, education, training

Using direct indicators to measure “degree of empowerment” An example from empowerment study of women in Ethiopia: Examine the general empowerment status of poor women Assess success of Women’s Development Initiatives Project (WDIP) in expanding women’s economic opportunities, strengthening self-reliance and building awareness Asset indicators: Previous participation in associations; level of education; awareness of rights, number of people women could call on for help, self-confidence Indicators of opportunity structure: Representation on local government councils; extent of choice re type of employment, ability to negotiate working conditions, access to credit; decision-making power vis a vis husbands over family planning and conjugal relations

Conclusions of WDIP empowerment study Agency and opportunity structures restricted women’s political participation, access to equitable treatment in formal & informal justice systems, labor market participation, and status in the household. WDIP expanded access to economic opportunities and built social capital, but study concluded that… interventions must be complemented by macro-institutional that: expand economic opportunities, narrow the education gender gap, deepen legal reforms and strengthen enforcement of women’s rights

Conclusions Social capital: a means to an end (empowerment and sustainable development) and an end in itself (sense of community and connectedness) Extensive literature on measurement Empowerment a means to an end (sustainable development) and an end in itself (human autonomy and dignity) Methods for measuring are still “under construction”