This book examines the various strategies of engagement employed by women working to transform the bureaucratic structures of state organizations, multilateral institutions and NGOs to make them more gender-equitable. These strategies involve combining the task of pursuing transformative agendas from within bureaucracies - of being 'missionaries' - while adapting to the techniques and practices of the bureaucracy as a 'mandarin' would have to do. The contributors examine struggles not only at the discursive level, where women's needs are constructed and contested, but also at the institutional level of the rules and procedures of bureaucratic actors, and at the level of resource allocation. Studies from many different countries, including Vietnam, Australia, the United States and Morocco, illustrate both the variety of institutional strategies adopted by feminists in different political and cultural settings, and the highly diverse forms of political action by women which can be seen to constitute feminist politics. From their different perspectives the contributors acknowledge the gendered nature of bureaucracies but argue against the view that these institutions are monolithic and impermeable. This book has much to say to all those feminists working within bureaucracies - whether state or civil society institutions - with the aim of promoting women's concerns; it will also interest those who have chosen a strategy of 'disengagement'. In addition, the book makes a significant contribution to recent developments in the anthropological study of organizations.

Miller, Carol; Razavi, Shahra; United Nations Research Institute for Social Development

edited by Carol Miller and Shahra Razavi

Practical Action Publishing

ITDG Publishing

United Kingdom and Ireland, United Kingdom

December 1998

PS, 1998

Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-221) and index.

<p>Women working to change unfair treatment in bureaucracies can be either "missionaries" or "mandarins," and must often be a combination of the two. "Missionaries" work from within the organization in their pursuit of gender equity. "Mandarins" work to adapt to the techniques and practices of the bureaucracy.</p>
<p>This book examines two kinds of strategies for making the bureaucratic structures of organizations, multilateral institutions and non-governmental organizations more gender-equitable. The contributors examine gender struggles not only at the discursive level, where women’s needs are constructed and contested, but also at the institutional level of bureaucratic rules, procedures and resource allocation. Studies from many different countries, including Vietnam, Australia, the US and Morocco illustrate the variety of strategies for change adopted by feminists in different political and cultural settings, and show the highly diverse forms of feminist politics. From their different perspectives the contributors acknowledge the gendered nature of institutions, but argue against the view that these organizations are monolithic and impermeable.</p>
<p>The contributors have much to say to all feminists working within bureaucracies — whether state or civil society institutions — with the aim of promoting women’s concerns; this book is also a significant contribution to recent developments in the anthropological study of organizations.</p>

Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-221) and index
Introduction / Carol Miller and Shahra Razavi -- Becoming multilingual : the challenges of feminist policy advocacy / Shahra Razavi -- Mainstreaming gender equity to national development planning / Anne Marie Goetz -- Engaging the state : the women's movement and political discourse in Morocco / Rabéa Naciri -- Femocrats and ecorats : women's policy machinery in Australia, Canada and New Zealand / Marian Sawer -- Gender advocates and multilateral development organizations : promoting change from within / Carol Miller -- Gender accountability and NGOs : avoiding the black hole / Linda Mayoux

Comprises seven papers which examine the strategies used by women attempting to enter and transform a range of development institutions (state organizations, multilateral institutions and NGOs) through the promotion of gender-sensitive bureaucratic structures and practices. Explores the challenges of including women's interests in the policymaking process, describes efforts to mainstream gender equality into national development planning and investigates the integration of gender concerns in multilateral organizations and NGOs

2023-06-28