Kampen mot ?machismo?! -en studie av Forum Syds lokala samarbetsorganisationers jämställdhetsarbete med män i Nicaragua
Equality is a central aspect within development work. All development work is expected to be influenced by a gender equalty thinking, and these directions are distributed by the Department of Foreign Affairs, through Sida to Forum Syd and down to the very grasroot level, through Forum Syds local cooperation organisations. The essays question of research is a reflection over empowerment, with other words how international organisations influence other societies understanding of the society dynamics. This aspect triggered my interest for the subject, aswell as the link between aid, equality and men, and how these factors are in need of eachother. My study is mainly build on theoretical starting points, and not on earlier studies. The theories are split into five blocks, that are aligned along a makro/mikro scale, in order to, in the best way posssible, capture the connections between the globality of aid and its local consequences. Though the main purpose of my study is to find out how Forum Syds local cooperation organisations work towards gender equality with men, the problem is far from local. The obvious message in my study is that globality influences locality, and because of that it is important to be aware of the complexity that stands behind development work. Development trends can never be understood without taking the global capitalist market and the western hegemony under consideration. The historical and the cultural influences, that effects and shapes our world and way of thinking, must aswell be included in the translations. Despite all difficulties I do believe that the work of the organisations is a winning concept, because they adapt the development work to local needs, and have an understanding for cultural, historical and religious factors. Their approach eliminates the risk for their work becoming abstract and unsuccessful.