Social licence to operate through a gender lens: The challenges of including women's interests in development assistance projects

Abstract

The paper analyses the concept of social licence to operate from a gender perspective. We examine the challenges associated with obtaining a gender-aware social licence for development assistance organizations working in conservative, traditional rural societies. We argue that during project activities, a development cooperation organization should take into account the contextual situation, especially in conservative societies, to ensure that women also benefit from their activities. Focusing on CARE International's JOIN project in Georgia, we identify six challenges that aid agencies face: cultural protocols and gender roles reinforce and exacerbate women's traditional disadvantage; the existing relationships between women and local authorities limits their opportunities; the limited mobility of women creates additional barriers; there is a gender disparity in access to information and resources; women are exploited as a means to access financial resources; and the out-migration of men means that many women are at risk of increasing vulnerability and may not benefit from development assistance projects.