Rahmad Effendi

Archive for March 17th, 2012

Analysis of gender-based patterns of local livelihood in poverty reduction

Analysis of gender-based patterns of local livelihood in poverty reduction

(Case study Banyuasin Municipality)

Rahmad Effendi

Faculty of Economics-Bina Darma University, Palembang

e-mail: rahmad_effendi@mail.binadarma.ac.id

Abstract

Gender is a social relationship concept that differentiate role and function between  man and women. However, the differentiation is not because of their biologic differentiation, but also their roles in the family. The aim of this study is to learn how the gender gave an effect on the family livelihood.  This study was held in Banyuasin (South Sumatera) and using three reseacrh methods. The data measured by means of observation, direct measurement and contributors response from women as house wife. There are different roles of house wife activities based on their working sectors. For the prevention and reduction of poverty, the government has some operational  strategies  refers to the documents of the National Poverty Reduction Strategy, which is implemented in each provinces and municipalities. Some commodity is a culture of households living in the District of Banyuasin. Based on the culture the five main commodities are; rubber, oil palm,  coconut,  rice  and  sea fisheries. The role of a housewife in the living culture are restaurant (0872),  health services (0827), and the retailer shop (0815). The highest level of roles is to help to make family living, on this level there are farming rice, rubber gardening, gardening, coconut, palm garden. On the other hand,  the lowest role of the housewife is fishery commodities. The construction of living model in tackling proverty based on gender perspective is requiring strategic measures, such as:  first, socialization of gender empowerment to the stakeholders. Second, provide opportunities, breadth of access, and increase the participation of housewives. Third is to create and develop income-sensitive  participatory of gender, and the last is the need for change structure of a living culture slowly in order to create new living conditions of the actual culture.

keywords: gender, livelihood, poverty.

1. Introduction

This study questioned the influence of gender / housewife in the perspective of a commodity-based work also has implications on family poverty in the Municipality of Banyuasin. Gender is a concept that distinguishes the function of social relationships and roles between men and women. Differentiating role and function is not specified because  there   is a difference between biological or nature, but are distinguished or sorted according to position, function, and the role of each in different areas of life and development. By nature that distinguishes between men and women there are four differences (namely, menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth and breast feeding). Equal rights and obligations between men and women have been guaranteed by the normative and the 1945 Guidelines of State Policy. Gender is a social construction has led to injustices such as discrimination, subordination, marginalization and gender roles tend to be biased. Some gender issues among.

1. Gender roles, this time it was found that the gender roles society there is less balanced. Gender roles in society is relatively balanced, although it is related to the rights and control, women are at the second position and this is also happening anywhere in the world. Changes in terms of religion, politics, economics and technology in the area bring change to the roles of men and women is primarily concerned with the works. These changes on the other hand increases the workload of women but on the other side to reduce the role of men. Women’s workload increased as he must take responsibility for their traditional roles (such as garden care, food, livestock, family maintenance) and supplemented with new roles due to changes such as way to finding the money to meet the various needs of the economy offered by the market, followed posyandu activities, and others.

Not to mention the labor force is also reduced when mothers used assisted by his child, now most children go to school. Meanwhile, the man said to be losing most of its importance. Men are at the stage of questioning existence itself (would do anything because of the time these changes are many things that are prohibited). It could be argued that overburdened women, while men lost some of its importance. And at the same time, there is the custom / culture that does not allow the sharing of work / roles that have already considered the responsibility of women.

2. The pattern of decision-making, almost all important decisions are dominated by men. The pattern of these decisions affect the access and control over resources that exist. The pattern can be seen that women’s access and control over resources is still quite low. Restricted women’s access and control on matters relating to food and maintenance. This is consistent with gender roles that have been set by the society in which women are given space to things that are domestic while the men in the public sector.

3. This is also supported by the results of previous studies on the respondents in the district who have cluster Banyuasin the suburbs and the lowland (coastal) states that the pattern of this cluster is a farmer living plantation (rubber, palm oil) as the mainliving and supported the second pattern that is farm field (Fauzi, 2005).

Women in this pattern have a greater proportion of employment, especially in supporting the livelihood pattern of the second but with the condition that the systematic malnutrition caused women consuming fewer, less frequent and lower quality food than men. This is exacerbated if entered during pregnancy and lactation. Gender differentiation also affect the differentiation in the distribution of power between men and women, it is further related to the distribution of power in the access and control over revenues. Almost in many countries and in different social class, women control fewer productive assets than men, although women actually produce 40 to 100% of basic family needs. Women’s lack of control over resources affects the health and nutritional conditions of families, especially women and children. This is exacerbated if the amount of food (nutrients) that can be shared only slightly due to poverty.

Discrimination against women, subordination and unfair division of labor at the root problem of poverty. Therefore, efforts to increase the capacity of women should be one part indevelopment efforts, including development in the field of poverty reduction. Nothing the status of women in the empowerment process becomes very important. The role of women need special attention in the process of poverty alleviation. Poverty alleviation programs will be successful when successfully improving women’s position in society.

The main objective of this research to find a pattern of gender-based right livelihood for coastal-suburb. By considering the above facts, the researcher tried to pay attention on solving the issue of gender in poverty reduction programs that will improve the health status of mothers as well.

Manifestations of gender inequality are consequences of the occurrence of various problems in life, such as: poverty, healthand nutritional status, maternal and child mortality rates are high. Provisions relating to gender are also three women’s dual role (triple role). In most low-income households, women’s work not only consists of the activities of a reproduction, but also the productive activities that are often a source of income. Working women in rural areas are usually in the form of agricultural work, while in the cities often worked in the informal sector (labor).

In addition, women are also involved in the management of community activity or activities that take place in local residential areas. In addition, also in the planning process, three dual role of women less attention.

Rural women produce 60-80% of agricultural products but if there are agricultural training, the men who were involved in the training. Actually a lot of training is aimed to women, but the training is much more to support women’s domestic roles (process of domestication) and sometimes have even more to institutionalize gender ideology. Also in the development process, women are often disadvantaged, for example the IMF stabilization program (International Monetary Fund) and World Bank structural adjustment program which said was detrimental to women’s gender-neutral (with the elimination of the subsidy program for consumer sectors such as health, education and food prices regulated by the market) actually makes women must work harder, to lose time for themselves and their children and lead to declining health condition.

From this study can be hypothesized that the finding of gender-based patterns of living that is right for the beach-suburb then it will be able to overcome the poverty that will improve the health status of mothers as well.

1. Gender, Poverty

Gender is a set of values or conditions that distinguish the social identity of men and women, and what should be done by women and what should be done by men in terms of economic, political, social and cultural good in family life, community and nation (Faqih, 1996). Gender is an inherent trait in men and women who are socially and culturally constructed (Faqih, 1996).

Alamsyah (2002), Anatomy of Poverty: The main dimensions of poverty are: Political (no access and the means by which the poor participate in making strategic decisions concerning the life chances of those who lead businesses are limited), Social (not integrated to the poor in formal social intuition) , economic (low income), assets (lack of ownership of things that could be the capital of living).

1. Research methodology

The study object

Banyuasin district election as the object of research is based on consideration of the location of the outskirts of Palembang and sea borders. Sampling purposively determined in all districts were thought to have area of poverty. The number of respondents in 20 respondents homemaker / family

Research measures

Data collection techniques used were: (1) Survey for households, (2) Focussed Group Discussion / FGD for the various elements involved (local government officials, relevant agencies, community leaders and NGOs in the local area) and (3) Documentation study, by studying books or literature, the results of the study, written notes, etc. that are relevant to the purposes of this case study. Data collection instrument used was questionnaire housewife living a role in helping to work.

1. Banyuasin district

Banyuasin district with an area of 11,832.99 km2, or about12.18% area of South Sumatra Province. Banyuasin district lies between 1.3 – 4 south latitude and 104 40 ‘- 105 15’ east longitude, the limits of the area as follows: North: Adjacent to the District Muara Jambi Province Bangka Belitung Strait and the East: Bordering Pampangan District and Air Sugihan Ogan Komering Ilir. West: Bordered by the Sungai Lilin District of Musi Banyuasin. South side: Adjacent to the Sira Pulau Padang District Ogan Komering Ilir district; Palembang; Gelumbang District, Sub Talang Ubi Muara Enim District. When viewed from the wider region, Banyuasin District II is the largest district is 2,681.28 km2 (22.68%) of the total area of district and sub district Banyuasin Rambutan is the smallest district.

1. Findings

5.1. Overview of gender-based patterns of living in the District of Banyuasin.

When viewed from the level of participation, the role of housewife (gender) strongly supports the culture of family income. Recapitulation of the role of time is based on the criteria of participation, education, income, access, awareness and control.

The role of a housewife is the largest in living cultures shown in Table 1 includes a restaurant (0872), health services (0827), and the retailer shop (0815). While the sector most dominated by the role of housewife (Table 2) is the food crop sector (2453), plantations (2386) and trade (2561). This means that the livingculture of the economic sectors that most housewives role in helping the family income.

Judging from the five commodity Banyuasin District (Rubber, Oil Palm, Coconut, Rice, and marine fisheries), the housewife role in favor of living high enough that the dominant Rubber (0732), Palm (0427), Coconut (0657), Rice (0781), and marine fisheries (0096). Role of the highest order is to help make a living are farming rice, rubber gardening, gardening, coconut, palm garden, but the role of the housewife is the smallest in the marine fishery commodities, as shown in the following table:

Table 1. The role of a housewife is the largest in living culture

Table 2. The most dominant sector of the role of a housewife

5.2.  Poverty reduction strategy of the government.

The Government currently has three main agenda in improving the welfare of the people. The first is poverty and poverty reduction. Both development and investment in human resources, and a third, fast response welfare issues.

For the prevention and reduction of poverty, the government has several operational strategies, such as the fulfillment of basic needs, raising awareness and social solidarity, economic strengthening social safety networks, community empowerment, growth and equity pro poverty, and law enforcement. All were included in the document of National Strategy for Poverty Reduction (NSPR) which will be implemented in every area.

5.3. Model for the empowerment of the poor in the District of Banyuasin

Establishment of a living model of gender perspective in tackling poverty, necessary strategic steps to achieve these objectives, including:

First, the socialization of gender empowerment to the understanding of stakeholders on an ongoing basis.

Second, in order to provide opportunities and breadth of access and increased participation of housewives, the empowerment program can diversificating.

Third, create and develop participatory methods of gender-sensitive livelihood.

Fourth, the need for changes in the structure of a living culture slowly in order to create a new living culture conditions in both the actual structure of the larger society and within the family.

6. Conclusion

1. For the prevention and reduction of poverty, the government has some operational strategies contained in the documents of the National Poverty Reduction Strategy (NPRS) which is implemented in each region.

2. Some commodity is the culture of households living in the District of Banyuasin, five main commodities are rubber, oil palm, coconut, rice and marine fisheries.

3. The role of a housewife is the largest in the living culture of the restaurant , health services, and the retailer shop. Role of the highest order is to help make a living farmingrice, rubber gardening, gardening, coconut, palm garden, but the role of the housewife is the smallest in the marine fishery commodities.

4. Establishment of a living model of gender perspective in tackling poverty should make strategic moves, including understanding the socialization of gender empowerment to stakeholders, provide opportunities and breadth of access and increased participation of housewives, create and develop income-sensitive participatory methods of gender, the need for change structure of a living culture slowly in order to create new living conditions of the actual culture.

References

Alamsyah, (2002). Anatomi Kemiskinan: Seminar Strategi pembangunan Kota Bandar Lampung. Http:// Cdsindonesia.org.

Faqih, M., (1996), Menggeser Konsepsi Gender dan Transformasi Sosial, Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar.

Fauzi, L, Sapta R & Rahmad E (2005) Analisis Pola Nafkah Lokal di Era Lumbung Pangan: Studi kasus Provinsi Sumatera Selatan. Palembang: Kopertis Wilayah II.