| Abstract | In many of the development project of NGOs and !Os, it is widely acknowledged that
women's participation is imp01iant. It is expected that when women participate in
development activities, their skills and knowledge, family income generation, education,
and health services important, and women eventually will be empowered and achieve
equality and equity from projects. This study intended to identify gender relation in the
Local Planning Process (LPP), the level and type of women's participation in the LPP, and
domestic and public sphere factors encourage or discourage women's participation in the
LPP.
The field research was conducted utilizing the quantitative and qualitative methods-indepth interview, individual interview, groups interview, informal discussion and
observation. The study found that very poor women and especially very poor widow and
divorcee women are isolated from village social network, because they did not much
connected with other people in the village as: VDC members, village leader, poor and
moderately poor household status. The relationship between villagers and VDC members
was poor relationship. Male VDC members had relationship more often with village men
and women who close relative and close friend with them. Therefore, LPP responsive to
whom close relative and friend of VDC members and village leader. Peoples' participation
in the village development plan is different levels and types such as very active, active,
slightly active and completely inactive. For example, peoples was very active participation
in the village development plan is CDC chief and vice chief, VDC chief and vice chief.
Peoples was completely inactive is very poor families with not enough food to eat, women
with small babies, and pregnant women. Factors influence women's participation in the
village development plan such as: household income, family size, age, health, gender
relationship, time use, women workload, husband support, and etc.
To improve women's participation in the village development plan more research provide
some recommendation such as: general recommendation for CDC and VDC member,
specific for CDC and VDC chief and vice chief, female CDC and female VDC member.
Recommendation for villagers, facilitators should encourage villagers to take a more active
part in informing VDC members about their problems and people's need. And some
suggestions for future research such as: study social network analysis of relationships
between female VDC I CDC members and villagers could be conducted. Research could
be done about how VDC members represent their village at the commune level. And
research could be conducted into how to build the capacity of VDC and CDC women to
become strong leaders.
The suggests to improve women's pa1iicipation should support women self-confident,
health, reduce women workload, introduce family planning and contraception to village
men and women. CDC and VDC members should build strong relationship with villagers. |