Vandana Desai

NGOs, gender mainstreaming, and urban poor communities in Mumbai

This article focuses on gender mainstreaming in small grassroots NGOs in the Indian city of Mumbai. It identifies some of the gaps in activities and challenges that these organisations face, and explores the links between gender mainstreaming and womens empowerment. NGOs working at community level can play an important role in supporting women to challenge customs, ideas, and beliefs which perpetuate unequal gender relations. This role of NGOs becomes particularly challenging in a context of rapid social and cultural change, such as Mumbai. The article argues that despite commitments to gender mainstreaming, NGOs have insufficient understanding that they can facilitate the process of empowerment of women in such a context.

Anatomy of the Bombay NGO sector

This paper presents the findings of research on the activities, target groups, funding base and linkages of a sample of 67 grassroots NGOs working with the urban poor and on the extent to which their work is subject to internal or external evaluation. The paper demonstrates the diversity of NGO characteristics within one particular Indian city, Bombay (1). The paper highlights certain concerns for the future role of the non-governmental sector, especially in the context of the changing role of the state. As NGOs move in to fill the gap left by the public sector, encouraging rapid growth of expectations, complicating objectives and necessitating trade-offs between the competing demands made on them by other actors, they may be ill-equipped to respond effectively to an expanding role in the urban centre.

Urban Grassroots Nongovernmental Organizations in Bombay: A Suggested Typology:

The authors make use of a data set, collected by one of them, on characteristics of nongovernment organizations (NGOs) in Bombay, to develop a data-based typology for urban NGOs. Application of statistical classification techniques points to three main dimensions of variation in the features of urban NGOs, which are interpreted as reflecting scale, scope, and stance towards local involvement and funding sources. These factors are used to interpret a clustering of Bombay NGOs into four relatively homogeneous groupings. In the arising typology the sector is divided into three types of service-delivery NGO, which are distinguished mainly by scale of operation and funding source, and a fourth group of NGOs which are involved more in policy advocacy.

Critically Understanding Asian Perspectives on Ageing

Abstract Asian countries are experiencing demographic transition from a young to an increasingly older population. The ageing of populations is unfolding against a context often characterised by persistent poverty, gender vulnerability, economic strain, constricted public resources, and limited civil institutions to support the elderly. Two key interlinked dimensions are important: first, how social and economic changes have affected or will affect the well-being and support situation of present or future older people, and how older peoples needs and position in society relate to development and the consequences for policy. The paper identifies the gaps that exist in our understanding of ageing in Asian developing countries and discusses the key issues, tensions and perspectives that characterise current debates at local level and their implications for development in many Asian developing and some transitional countries. The paper urges recognition of ageing and development as part of poverty reduction strategies.

Urbanisation and Housing the Poor: Overview

This article identifies some of the major emerging issues related to housing the urban poor in the cities of the South. It traces the major shifts in shelter policy in the global South from the 1960s to the present day and outlines how urbanisation and growth in cities affect the availability of affordable housing for the poor. It also outlines some of the challenges faced by the governments of the global South.

MIGRATION AND LABOUR CHARACTERISTICS OF SLUM DWELLERS IN BOMBAY

This article presents a description of the migration and labor force characteristics of a sample of Bombay households in three slum areas. Interviews were conducted among 135 households in 1989. Slum areas were both similar and different from one another. Wadala slum had a large migrant population and a more integrated community structure. Slum dwellers tended to retain assets at their place of origin and were from agricultural areas in south Maharashtra. A greater proportion had close kin living in Wadala. Slum dwellers tended to be better-educated, formal-sector workers. Worli slum was less affluent and less close-knit. Migrants were mostly external migrants from Uttar and Andhra Pradesh. Kurla slum was the oldest slum area and had mixed traits. Kin interaction was voluntary and selective and flexible. The decision to return was unrelated to years spent in Bombay. Survey findings indicate that all areas had roughly equal proportions of internal and external migrants. Villagers migrated to cities due to unemployment in villages and the opportunity for social mobility and better employment. This analysis indicates that community-based politics were more influenced by state concerns than by the attributes of settlers or settlement types. State policies and market forces constrained poor peoples housing options. The cost of urban housing and amenities rises as population density increases. The demand in urban areas for public services, housing, and infrastructure increases due to expanding populations, inadequate and deteriorating facilities, and social pressures. Governments are constrained by high debt levels and inadequate revenues. National agencies may be inefficient in the provision of services and infrastructure. There is growing pressure on international donors and developing country governments to reexamine the role of the private sector in financing and providing services and infrastructure.

Nonprofit Sector, Geography of

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by W. Bielefeld, volume 16, pp. 10688–10691,