Exacerbating existing inequalities or supporting empowerment? The role of international aid to women’s organizations

Dr. Elisabeth Olivius shared her research on how standard practices and funding patterns of development actors can not only create obstacles and costs for women’s organizations but also reinforce existing societal inequalities between women. Drawing on research on and with women’s organizations in Myanmar, the dialogue discussed how and why international donors, despite their good intentions, often struggle to provide support to women’s organizations in context-sensitive and sustainable ways, and how they could do better.

Women’s organizations are often represented as important partners by development donors. However, accessing and managing international aid is demanding and difficult and may even prevent women’s organizations from strategically pursuing their own agendas and priorities. Established aid practices further tend to privilege formal NGOs representing urban, middle-class women and disadvantage already marginalized groups, thereby reinforcing existing societal inequalities. This challenge is aggravated in conflict-affected or authoritarian contexts, where divisions such as ethnicity, religion, and regional location are often politicized and align with historic and current patterns of discrimination and exclusion.

The engaging dialogue included a discussion between Dr. Olivius and session discussant Madhurima Sanyal, Project Coordinator for the Access to Justice programme at Sanjog. Attendees had the opportunity to pose questions to the speakers during a Q&A session.

The dialogue was moderated by Annika Hilgert, Research Associate at SEI.

Agenda  

• Opening remarks by Annika Hilgert
• Keynote presentation by Dr. Elisabeth Olivius
• Discussion with Madhurima Sanyal
• Q&A 
• Closing remarks by Annika Hilgert

About the Speakers

Dr. Elisabeth Olivius is an Associate Professor in Peace and Conflict Studies at Umeå University, Sweden. Her current research explores the role of women’s organizations in peacebuilding and resistance, and the politics of women’s rights in authoritarian and hybrid conflict-affected regimes. With Jenny Hedström, she is the editor of Waves of Upheaval in Myanmar: Gendered Transformations and Political Transitions, published by NIAS Press.  

Madhurima Sanyal will be the discussant for this dialogue. She is the project coordinator for the “Access to Justice” programme at Sanjog, a social impact organization based in India working to combat violence against children and women.