WOMEN, CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT PARADIGM

In the article “Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses”,
Chandra Mohanty critiques western feminists who construct a single historical image of the
oppressed third world woman instead of interrogating the social, economic and historical
conditions that affect various women (Mohanty, 56). Western feminists represent African
females and those from the third world as objects. Mohanty strongly emphasizes the need to
make a historical analysis of the women’s oppressions with the hope of identifying alternative
ideas upon which to base international women confederations. The study offers a powerful
critique of the pseudo-universalizing tendencies of hegemonic Western feminist discourse and
proposes new techniques for a cross-border understanding of women’s lives (Mohanty, 55). Her
review nonetheless undermines the conviction of international feminist practice held hitherto
(Mohanty, 71).
The colonial discourse often threatens the diversity of non-westerns and perceives
Africans as objects. As Mohanty points out, feminist discourse picked up on this trend in its
“production of the ‘third world woman’ as a singular monolithic subject.” (Mohanty, 51) In this
delineation, “third world women” are depicted as “sexually constrained… ignorant, poor,
uneducated, tradition-bound, domestic, family-oriented, victimized, etc.” (Mohanty, 56). She
argues that the stereotypical image of non-Western women is a reflexive exercise intended to
affirm the identity of supposedly more liberated Western feminists. By disputing the idea of an
innate all-inclusive womanhood that occurs beyond social relations, Mohanty distorts the
assertion on which international feminism is established. She emphasizes that no overall
patriarchal structure colludes against all women generally as a group (Mohanty, 54). However,

WOMEN, CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT PARADIGM
social-cultural, political and economic factors can cut across different historical moments
resulting in instances that cause women oppression.
Sen and Grown examine the depth impact of why strategies used to improve financial
standards are inimical to women. The authors emphasize that there are fundamental conflicts
between broad development plans and the welfare of women due to gender relations that oppress
women and harmful long-term economic processes. Like Mohanty, they also argue that feminism
can in no way be monolithic in its issues since it involves the interests of women from diverse
ethnic and economic backgrounds (Sen & Grown, 120). Additionally, they state that feminism
cannot be established on an inflexible notion of universality that discredits the vast diversity of
women’s experiences (Sen & Grown, 120). The women, culture, and development model,
enhances the author’s critiques by positively championing for the variety of feminism based on
the various concerns among different women. Feminism draws its dynamism and powerful
challenge to the status quo from its heterogeneity. The historical analysis of the WCD model
advances Sen & Grown critique by aiding in the link between history development strategies to
the systemic crises. The importance of the women’s ability to counteract the crises is also
emphasized.
The practitioner’s ability to queer development demonstrates the suitability of the WCD
model due to the inadequacies arising from the dualism notion in strange development. The
strange development allows for the reorganization of sexuality and gender in development
practices and theories (Bhavani, 58). For instance, in the queer development analysis of
heterosexuality, institutionalized heterosexuality has consequences for both queer and
heterosexual women. The WCD approach is more suitable since it is based on the factual
historical analysis of factors contributing to women oppression. The analysis provides accurate

WOMEN, CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT PARADIGM
results that are simulated into the current situations to arrive at possible solutions aimed at
eradicating women abuse and most importantly women from the third world. The queering
development of heterosexuality contributes to the homogenization and stereotyping of third
world women in development discourses and practices.

WOMEN, CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT PARADIGM

References

Bhavani, K. K. (2005). Feminist futures: Re-imagining women, culture and development.
Zubaan.
Mohanty, C. T., & Russo, A. (1991). Third world women and the politics of feminism (Vol. 632).
Indiana University Press.
Sen, G., & Grown, C. (2013). Development crises and alternative visions: Third world women’s
perspectives. Routledge.