Indira Gandhi National Open University(IGNOU) इंदिरा गांधी राष्ट्रीय मुक्त विश्वविद्यालय (इग्नू)
Development policies and practices have a differential impact on gendered categories such as men/ women / transgender, LGBTIQ+ and so on. This necessitates an understanding of the “gender gap” in access to resources, privileges, entitlements and choices. Consensus has evolved around the need to explore the “gender gap” in key development sectors and how this gap can be bridged. There is now greater emphasis on mainstreaming gender perspectives into the development process. This will contribute to building a gender-sensitive rubric of development, recasting development theory and action in the “direction of improved living standards, socially responsible management and use of resources, elimination of gender subordination and socioeconomic inequality as well as to promote the organizational restructuring required to bring about desirable change.”
Exploration of gender issues has become an important activity for most non-governmental organizations. Increasing emphasis is being laid in Governmental agencies on establishing gender-differential impacts and taking positive, affirmative action towards gender equality and equity. It is now widely acknowledged that gender considerations need to be reflected in all development plans, programmes and policies. There is growing concern over the isolation of women in so-called “soft” sectors in education, employment and development rather than mainstreaming gender concerns across all organizations, institutions and activities. While the concerns are clearly articulated, national goals and the UN, Sustainable Development Goals (as also earlier identified Millennium Development Goals) cannot be achieved without concrete effort towards gender equality.
Achieving gender equality and gender equity requires multi-pronged approaches and strategies. One of the key approaches and strategies revolves around design and development of suitable educational programmes that equip practitioners and policy makers with the requisite knowledge and skills to make a valuable contribution in this sphere. The Master’s programme would provide an excellent foundation for analyzing, critically assessing existing development interventions and promoting gender-sensitive/gender-based research and action. The strong focus envisaged on positive affirmative action would be of considerable significance.
The Programme seeks to enable learners to:
In the Internship/Field-Based Research Project Courses (MGSP-001 and MGSP-002), 100% weightage would be accorded to the Internship Report or Research Project Report submitted. Both courses carry a credit weightage of 4 credits each.
The specific target learners for this programme of study are:
Bachelor’s Degree holders in any subject; Middle and senior level personnel working in organizations, institutions, societies, and other agencies working on gender and development issues; Personnel of NFOs/NGOs engaged or interested in gender and development related issues; Academics teaching courses in gender and development studies, either through disciplines like political science, public administration, management, sociology, history, literature, social work, psychology and all disciplines that comprise gender related issues and discourses; Persons interested in enhancing their knowledge and understanding of gender and development (GAD) discourses; Students pursuing higher studies in any discipline and with an interest in gender and development issues.
Credits: 4
Year 2