Gender, skills development and poverty reduction

This Briefing presents a gender analysis of skills development in South Africa within the broader context of economic growth and poverty reduction. Education and skills development are at the centre of development and economic growth through the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (Asgi-SA) and Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA). This Briefing is focused on how JIPSA as a strategy for skills development addresses gender equality. The paper uses a gender and development framework that sees gender relations as a unit of analysis to challenge the skills development initiatives' approach to gender issues. It argues that approaches to skills development assume an integrationist model that ignores cultural, historical and socioeconomic differences between and within women and men. This approach to gender equality is flawed and runs the risk of perpetuating poverty and economic inequalities between men and women and amongst women themselves by advancing those who are already advanced. The paper recommends a comprehensive analysis of gender issues that will inform a gender-sensitive approach to economic growth, skills development and poverty reduction.