Gender assignment an awakening for young MCCer

Mennonite Central Committee
Wednesday, 20 December 2000

WINNIPEG, Man.--It was a defining moment for Jennifer deGroot. The Canadian was on a short-term Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Canada assignment examining issues of gender and development, when she met up with a group of young women in a Calcutta, India slum.

DeGroot describes the moment: "The young woman who is the social worker asks me if I have any questions for these women. She knows I'm interested in gender issues. I hardly see the women. I see only poverty, garbage, and hopelessness. I don't see people. But Neeha keeps asking me, almost impatiently, 'Don't you have any questions?' I'm almost annoyed. But slowly her words call me back. 'Come Jennifer. Come and join us. We are like you.'

"And then I see their smiles, their eagerness. These are women too, more than objects of pity, victims of despair. I look at them and smile and I say, 'I'm Jennifer. I'm from Canada. I'm here to talk to women. I'm here to talk to you.'"

In moments like these, when confronted by the low status and struggles of so many women, deGroot was also struck with their humanity, their strength, and their shared concerns with women everywhere. "That concern for gender equality is not necessarily a North American concept," she says. "Everybody needs to be part of the discussion and we all have different answers."

When deGroot, who grew up in Sarnia, Ontario, and has a background in philosophy, first came to MCC she had three requests of the organization: no overseas assignment, no volunteering and no development work.

She was offered a spot in the Youth Internship Program (YIP), a one-year young adult career internship program, funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). As an MCC volunteer, she was to travel overseas to examine how MCC can make gender a more conscious part of its development work. She accepted.

From January to July, 2000, deGroot racked up air miles visiting MCC work in India, Chad, Niger, Senegal, South Africa, Lesotho, and Uganda. She also visited the voluntary service program in Manitoba.

DeGroot first went to India, where MCC projects are seen as a positive model for gender and development. For instance, in India, Global Family, MCC's sponsorship program, mainly supports girls, who are seen as the most vulnerable.

She studied how the India example could be applied to MCC's work in Africa. She asked questions, like:

* Who benefits from a particular project?

* With whom does the project work?

* Who makes the decisions?

* What does empowerment of women look like in a particular project?

"A lot of it is looking at who is the most vulnerable in society. Who do we want to help and who are we helping? We just assume we're helping the most vulnerable people," says deGroot.

Development work that is gender aware isn't easy to define, she continues, but it's an ongoing process that must also take into account issues of racism and class.

She says she was struck by the extent of violence against women, including in Canada, and how it's always labeled a private affair. She was struck by the amount of peacemaking work women do--planting crops, visiting neighbours, and looking after children during times of conflict. "But no one ever talks about it. That's just what women do," says deGroot.

She says she returned to Canada with more curiosity, more patience with the pace of change, and with a new dose of humility. "I have a harder time making generalizations now. It's harder to assume things now."

After her return to Canada, deGroot wrote a number of reports on her findings and recommendations. She has also made presentations at various MCC meetings.

"I feel hopeful for MCC. And I would say I feel hopeful for women across the world," concludes deGroot.

For more information, or to contact Mennonite Central Committee, see their website at: www.mcc.org