The current study established that different stakeholders do not share the same understanding of key concepts in development. Lack of clear understanding of key concepts made it difficult for both development practitioners and project implementers to effectively execute their mandate effectively. Communities cannot implement what they do not understand effectively and development practitioners cannot effectively monitor a programme of a project they do not clearly understand. It is, therefore, recommended that women and development practitioners
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in CDPs should be equipped with skills and knowledge in order to contribute effectively to the empowerment of these women.
The current study established that there was a lack of political will to act against government officials who stalled development progress by engaging in corrupt practices. It is, therefore, recommended that government, the public sector, civil society and other stakeholders commit themselves to implementing laws, legislations and policies that are already in place, in order to regulate development processes. It is of critical importance for the government to play an active role in facilitating these processes because the market forces alone cannot resolve the problem of poverty and inequality.
The integration of women fully into the development process is critical to poverty reduction strategies. Development practitioners should consider women in planning development initiatives. Integration of women’s issues to a wide range of policies and programmes is a critical strategy for poverty reduction.
Development planners and agencies should listen to local communities, especially during consultative meetings so as to encourage them to participate in the projects. Mobilization of women and men to participate fully and equally in CDPs is critical to combat poverty and achieve sustainable development. Women must not only be needed when a development initiative is implemented, but they must also be fully integrated, and allowed to participate even during the planning phase because they have peculiar abilities that are lacking in their male counterparts (Nkiko 2008:1103). The emancipation of women and the attainment of equality in the political, economic, social, cultural and civic spheres is a long and difficult process of social transformation that requires commitment from stakeholders to fundamentally challenge the way in which society is organized. It requires a paradigm shift in development thinking among actors in development. It is, therefore, recommended that decision-makers develop new ways of thinking about the emancipation of women by integrating them fully into development initiatives. Coetzee et al. (2001:169) maintain that women’s subordination emanated, not from one source, but from many sources, such as patriarchy, customs, tradition, colonialism, racism and apartheid. Bureaucrats, therefore, need to understand this shift in development thinking in implementing policies, programmes and laws; and law-makers need to translate this thinking into laws. It is also recommended that civil society be involved in development initiatives; women and men need to educate themselves and each other about the causes of, and solutions to, gender inequality, and the problem of poverty and patriarchy.
Sithole (2008:106-107) argues that women need to be empowered with information,
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knowledge and education in order to be self-reliant, self-sufficient and to address the challenges of community development effectively.
Development planners and agencies must develop a better understanding of local economics.
They should also familiarize themselves with the behaviour, attitudes, norms and values of the beneficiaries so as to encourage sustainable development. Women need to mobilize themselves and other actors in development to fight societal norms and prejudices, constructed in order to exclude them from full participation in social, cultural, economic and political activities. It is, therefore, necessary for the government and development practitioners, in collaboration with other stakeholders, to deal with prejudices and customary attitudes that inhibit women from full participation in development initiatives. Negative attitudes and customary beliefs that reinforce discrimination against women must be eliminated through well-thought-through and planned education and awareness campaigns. The current study, therefore, recommends that men and communities in general should be educated to change their attitudes and to recognize women as equal partners in development.
The policy on CDPs should be reviewed and structured in such a way as to encourage women’s participation, as well as allowing continual updating of the database so that the information about their involvement in projects could be accessed easily.
The findings of the current study revealed that the high illiteracy levels of the people involved hinder them from implementing development programmes. It is, therefore, recommended that properly planned education and awareness campaigns should be implemented in consultation with stakeholders in order to promote women’s effective participation in decision-making processes that are critical to the development of various policies that are needed to regulate development processes.
The Thulamela Local Municipality should promote the CDP concept, so as to encourage and support communities to engage themselves in projects in order to eradicate poverty and inequality, especially among rural women. The current study found that lack of adequate funding was one of the factors that hindered women empowerment. In order to deal decisively with the problem of poverty and inequality, this study, therefore, recommends that planners should consider the inclusion of wages as part of funding in any future development initiative so that projects can be sustained. The current study also recommends that the existing projects should be supported with additional funding to enable members to procure material needed to develop and take the project to a higher level. In short, the researcher agrees with the participants that the criteria for funding needs to be reviewed, and communities should
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also be taken on board when planning is made so that they can voice their dissatisfaction and possible solutions.
According to the study conducted by Sithole (2008:98), people are able to participate only if they have information to enable them to be active members of CDPs and not depend on development practitioners. The author argues that training gives power to the programmes (p. 105). The current study is aware of financial constraints but recommends regular in-service training of both development practitioners and project staff to ensure that their level of understanding of development issues is conducive to effective development. It is also recommended that training should be done by using local languages in order to maximize participation of women in development initiatives.
The findings of this study show that women have a great impact in CDPs. The willingness of women to participate and contribute towards their own empowerment, and to that of others, calls for greater assistance, with resources, knowledge, skills and opportunities in order for women to emancipate themselves. The current study, therefore, recommends that women should be supported with resources in order to play their multiple roles effectively.