Perhaps the simplest definition of development is that given by [1], for whom development means ‘just change’. As such, development is a positive word that in our everyday lives is virtually synonymous with progress, although we should note the importance of distinguishing the two concepts. Development may entail disruption of established patterns of living, and there are huge disagreements about how it is obtained or whether it is occurring. Nevertheless, over the long term, it implies increased living standards, improved health and well-being for all, and the achievement of whatever is regarded as a general good for society at large.

However, the two words ‘good change’ already combine quite different ideas, which can cause confusion between different senses in which the term development is used. ‘Good’ implies a vision of a desirable society (‘well-being for all’); something to aim for; a state of being with certain positive attributes that can be measured so that we can talk of 'more' or 'less' development. 'Change', on the other hand, is a process that can entail disruption and may or may not be possible to direct.

Thus, it is important to be clear about the different senses in which the term ‘development’ is used. In addition, whichever sense is in use, the term ‘development’ also embodies competing political aims, social values, and contrasting theories.

The Ambiguity of Development

There are several important general points about the idea of development that go beyond simply ’good change’ and which together show it to be an inherently ambiguous concept. First, development generally implies an all-encompassing change, not just an improvement in one aspect. Second, development is not just a question of a one-off process of change to something better but implies a process that builds on itself, where change is continuous and improvements build on previous improvements. Third, development is a matter of changes occurring at the level of social change and the individual human being at the same time. Changes in society have implications for the people who live in that society, and, conversely, changes in how people think, interact, make their lives, and perceive themselves form the basis for changes in society. Finally, development is not always seen positively. These points often go together in that what some see as a general improvement may have losers as well as winners, and if social change is all-encompassing and continuous, then the implication is that previous ways of life may be swept away, with the loss of positive as well as negative features (Allen and Thompso, 2004).

One intriguing metaphor that combines all these points comes from Marshall Berman, who writes of 'The Tragedy of Development’ and of Goethe’s Faust as ’the first developer'. He describes the development that Faust wants as follows:

“Earlier incarnations of Faust have sold their souls in exchange for certain clearly defined and universally desired good things of life: money, sex, power over others, fame, and glory. Goethe's Faust... wants these things, but these things aren’t in themselves what he wants for himself. What this Faust wants for himself is a dynamic process that will include every mode of human experience, joy and misery alike, and assimilate them all into his self’s unending growth" [2].

Faust plans to

“Draw” on nature’s own energy and organize that energy into fuel for new collective human purposes and projects... He outlines great reclamation projects to harness the sea: man-made harbors and canals that can move ships full of goods and men; dams for large-scale irrigation; green fields and forests; pastures and gardens; a visit; and intensive agriculture waterpower to attract and support emerging industries; thriving settlements, new towns, and cities to come-an all this to be created out of a barren wasteland" [2].

Berman points out that this vision of development also entails the self-development of Faust himself; he is becoming a new kind of man, “the consummate wrecker and creator, the dark and deeply ambiguous figure that our age has come to call" the developer [2].

Although the story of Faust is a myth, there are lessons to be learned, not least about the ambition of the notion of development. It may be impossible to achieve’ good change on a continuous basis without destroying something previously held clear, such as traditional values and forms of livelihood or a sense of control over day-to-day life. For some, this may indeed amount to losing one’s soul.

I think that you can begin to see how it is impossible to avoid the contradictions behind the idea of development by laying down a single simple definition of one's own. As Cowen and Shenton point out [3], development comes to be defined in a multiplicity of ways because there are a multiplicity of developers’ who are entrusted with the task of development. It is also important to distinguish between immanent developments, which, like capitalism, is intrinsically dynamic; it tends to build on itself and grow or develop from within, as opposed to intentional development, which forms the deliberate policies and actions of states and development agencies. Cowen and Shenton also argue that development should be conceptually differentiated from normal historical progression or progress.

Sex and Gender

'Gender’ rather than ’sex' is the key concept here because we are concerned with the social roles and interactions of men and women rather than their biological characteristics. Gender relations are part of social relations, referring to the ways in which the social categories of men and women, male and female, relate over the whole range of social organization, not just interactions between individual men and women in the sphere of personal relationships or in terms of biological reproduction. In all aspects of social activities, including access to resources for production, rewards or remuneration for work, distribution of consumption income for goods, exercise of authority and power, and participation in cultural, political, and religious activity, gender is important in establishing people’s behavior and the outcome of any social interaction (Allen and Thomas, 2004).

As well as interactions between individual men and women, gender relations describe the social meaning of being male and female and thus what is considered appropriate behavior or activity for men and women. What is considered male or female work or male or female attributes, behaviors, or characteristics varies considerably between different societies and different historical periods. But it is also important to realize that notions of gender identity and thus what is fitting for men and women to do or to be may have a strong ideological context and one that is very susceptible to changes in dominant political ideology, hence the need for a consensus in the application of such key concepts as gender balance (equality) and gender mainstreaming.

In spite of the various attempts made by individuals, groups, and international organizations followed by binding treaties since the introduction of gender into mainstream political discourse, there is still evidence that the female gender is still more likely to be poor, unhealthy, and illiterate than their male folk. Women and girls have less access to property ownership, credit, training, and employment. Women and girls in the developed world and those in developing countries are less likely than men to be politically active and far more likely to be victims of domestic abuse and other forms of violence.

Mortality risks for girls and women (relative to boys and men) are higher in many low- and middle-income countries compared with their counterparts in high-income countries. This ‘excess female mortality’, although still widespread, has declined in many parts of the world, apart from Sub-Saharan Africa, where it has increased. Another important area is women’s health and safety. HIV/AIDS is becoming an increasingly impactful issue for women. This can be related to women having fewer opportunities for health education, unequal power in sexual partnerships, or gender-based violence. Maternal health is also an issue of specific concern. In many countries, women have limited access to prenatal and infant care and are more likely to experience complications during pregnancy and childbirth. This is a critical concern in countries where girls marry and have children before they are ready, often well before the age of 18. Quality maternal health care can provide an important entry point for information and services that empower mothers as informed decision-makers concerning their own health and the health of their children.

Although there is progress in achieving gender parity in education the world over, girls still make up a higher percentage of schoolchildren than boys. In Africa and the rest of the Third World, girls and young women's access to, retention, and completion of schools are of huge concern. Current figures show that 52 million girls are not in school in Africa, while four million will never step into a classroom, compared to two million boys. Typically, families with limited means who cannot afford costs such as school fees, uniforms, and supplies for all their children will prioritize education for their sons. Families may also rely on girls’ labor for household chores such as carrying water and providing child care, with limited time for schooling.

Gender mainstreaming

The widespread enthusiasm for applying gender analysis to all aspects of development rather than just to women or women's issues has been termed gender mainstreaming. It was a response to the slow progress of ’integrating women into the development process’ achieved by women-targeted policies and projects and the gender machinery of ministries for women’s affairs and women’s bureau since the 19970s. Such policies, which were responding to a women's development agenda, had created gender ghettos, and it was decided that a new strategy of integration was required.

The new strategy was to mainstream gender into gender general development policies, programs, and projects in order to counteract the tendency for women’s concerns and gender issues to become marginalized, underfunded, and ignored by the real development experts and activities.

Gender Equality or Gender Balance

Women’s empowerment is a critical aspect of achieving gender equality. It includes increasing a woman’s sense of self-worth, her decision-making power, her access to opportunities and resources, her power and control over her own life inside and outside the home, and her ability to effect change. It is important to mention that gender issues are not focused on women alone but on the relationship between men and women in society. The actions and attitudes of men and boys play an essential role in achieving gender equality. Women have fewer opportunities for economic participation than men, less access to basic and higher education, greater health and safety risks, and less political representation globally. Gender equality involves the empowerment of women, with a focus on identifying and redressing power imbalances and giving women more autonomy to manage their own lives. When women are empowered, whole families benefit, and these benefits often have a ripple effect on future generations. Gender equality is a human right. Women are entitled to live with dignity and freedom from want and fear. Gender equality is also a precondition for advancing development and reducing poverty. Empowered women contribute to the health and productivity of whole families and communities, and they improve prospects for the next generation. Ensuring the rights of women and giving them opportunities to reach their full potential is critical not only for attaining gender equality but also for meeting a wide range of international development goals.

Prioritizing girls’ education provides perhaps the single highest return on investment in the developing world. A girl child who is educated is better informed, more likely to postpone marriage, raise a smaller family, have healthier children, and send her own children to school. She has more opportunities to earn an income and to participate in political processes, and she is less likely to become infected with HIV. Through continuous education, the shift in focus of women’s movements from well-being or ill-being to agency will achieve better goals and much faster because, even though it has a direct bearing on women’s well-being, its reach goes way beyond that. Many women are not aware that they constitute up to 50% of the world’s population but only own 1% of the world’s wealth. In some places, including Nigeria, women still lack rights to own land, inherit property, obtain credit, earn income, or move up in their workplace, free from job discrimination. At all levels, including at home and in the public arena, women are widely underrepresented as decision-makers. In legislatures around the world, women are outnumbered 4 to 1, yet women’s political participation is crucial for achieving gender equality and genuine democracy. The changing agency of women and its vibrancy are one of the major mediators of economic and social change, and their determination as well as their consequences closely relate too many of the central features of the development process [4].

The concept of development is very complex and almost impossible to express comprehensively in a single definition. It is important to note the different senses in which the term can be used. But in whichever sense it is used, the term usually embodies competing political aims and social values and contrasting theories of social change.

Gender analysis has become widely accepted as part of development thinking and practice. Here, gender rather than sex is the key concept, indicating concern with social interactions rather than their biological characteristics.

The functions that education and health play in human life and their role in gender development are enormous and clearly make them imperatives to be achieved if gender development and development as a whole, whether immanent or intentional, have to take place. By mainstreaming gender issues, focusing on gender equality through the empowerment of women in health and education, and ending other human and social rights violations, this is clearly the way forward in dealing with gender development.

1. Chambers R. Whose Reality Counts? Putting the First Last. Intermediate Technology Publications, London. 1997.
2. Berman M. Faust, the First Developer', in Rahnema M, Bawtree V (Eds). The Post Development Zed Books, London. 1997.
3. Cowen MP, Shenton RW. Doctrines of Development, Routledge, London. 1996.
4. Amartya S. Development as Freedom, 1st Ed. Anchor Books, USA. 2000.
5. Moser C. Gender Planning and Development: Theory, Practice and Training. Routledge, London. 1993.
6. Polanyi K. The Great Transformation: The Political and Economic Origins of our Time. Beacon Press, Bosto. 2001.
7. Sachs W (Eds). The Development Dictionary: a guide to knowledge as power. Zed Books, London. 2010.