Finance, Budgets and Risk Assessment Team Log # 2

By: Radha Byagari

I found last week’s presentation on gender and multiculturalism very interesting. Prior to that class I had never heard of Hofstede’s Model of National Culture. While I do not really agree with his conclusions, they made me wonder more about gender and how certain societal constructs continue to impede the ambitions and goals of so many women of different socioeconomic levels.

When you asked the class which countries were the most feminine by Hofstede’s definition, I was surprised when someone thought it was the United States. While I certainly enjoy living in this nation and the many freedoms we are afforded, I am also very aware of the many inequalities that still exist between men and women. Unlike Scandinavian countries and the Netherlands where women and men appear to be on more equal footing, women in the United States are still paid less than men and women comprise only 4.4 percent of CEOS of Fortune 500 companies. I think it is important to realize that many people are not fully aware of these inequalities. Maybe that is due to the great strides women have made in the last 70 or so years, but it is also a dangerous trend. If women in developed nations are not still trying to secure totally equal footing with men, how can we try to change people’s views in nations where gender archetypes are much more oppressive?

As we have heard and read many times, microfinance has been most instrumental in assisting women better their lives and their children’s lives. But sometimes cultures preclude poverty alleviation because of perceptions of gender roles. I would love for everyone in the world, despite education and income level, to be equal, but depending on the location, certain cultures simply will not allow for women to conduct business and help support their families. In these situations, what can MFIs and pertinent NGOs do? How can women lift themselves up without “forsaking” their culture or religion and not face exclusion? How can organizations successfully function in places where they may be perceived as actively trying to change a culture and its centuries old constructs and customs? I think culture is undoubtedly one of the biggest obstacles to overcoming poverty. I am interested in researching if and where people have been able to overcome crippling social structure with microfinance while maintaining their place in their community.