Gender and Rural Development

Hi all,

I just want to share that it is very exciting to read about the work that all of your are doing around the world. I must say that your stories somehow enlighten me, enrage me and encourage me all at the same time. Working on gender and development is a challenge, no matter what country or community you are in. When I read of your struggles, I feel my heart race from remembering when I had a similar experience, or struggle, or achievement.

For those who don't know me, my name is Kyla Pennie and I am an international project specialist at Niagara College. I manage projects in Sri Lanka and South Africa and mainstreaming gender is a core passion of mine in development work.

I also am teaching rural tourism development at our local university. Next week I will be sharing thoughts on gender planning with 90 tourism and geography students. What do I say to a student group like this? In two hours, how do you possibly introduce the notion of gender inequality and how it relates to planning and development?

Reading your stories makes me want to make sure that I emphasize to the students not only the challenges of this line of work, but also the pure joy of seeing that you have made a positive contribution to social change in this world, one man or one woman at a time.

In solidarity,
Kyla