9) Singh, Shwete 2001. “Deconstructing ‘gender and development paradigm’ for ‘identities of women’” International Journal of Social Welfare 16:100-109

Singh discusses issues with implementing the ‘gender and development paradigm’ (100) during the process of conducting fieldwork and implementing observation to women in third world countries and recommends a different foundation known as the ‘identities of women’ (100). The gender and development paradigm has created imitated framework for conducting research with women in developing countries. This paradigm is based on the homogenization of women’s identities; the deliberate use of women as iconic symbols of the displacement of difference in societies, and the preconceived notions that these women are not autonomous and are coerced into trajectory of their futures.

There are three critiques attributed with the gender and development paradigm, the first one is how the paradigm measures advancement of societies; only on the premise of economic aftermath. This reinforces the notion that women do not play an active role in the economic development in society so they are disregarded as not having a role. Secondly, the initial phases of the paradigm present a generalization of the third world women’s reality, while reinforcing impractical ambitions for these women which often result in failure. This critique presents issues of homogenization women’s experiences and offers western ideas as the only source of equality between the sexes in exchange for these women potentially losing their families over. Finally, the paradigm undermines the voice and outlooks of these women. During the process these women are regarded as ignorant for not being able to grasp their oppressive lifestyles, leaving western feminism to construct what they assume these women’s lives are.