Abstract:
In the development discourse, what is said about women has changed significantly during
the past two decades. The rhetoric has moved from a welfare-oriented approach,
perceiving women as passive recipients of aid and focusing on their reproductive role; to
economic-oriented approaches emphasising women's role as producers and active
participants in the development process; and finally, to an empowerment approach.
However, planning instruments and methodologies have undergone remarkably little
alteration so as to accommodate these new approaches. Basically, the rational
comprehensive planning methodology developed in the 1950's continues to be used in
modified forms by institutional structures as diverse as governments, donor agencies and
NGOs (Moser i 993:85). Based on a study of women's pre-cooperative groups and Special
Credit Schemes to women found in Kilimanjaro, Northern Tanzania we shall here
demonstrate in this paper how this mismatch between development rhetoric and
approaches on the one hand and actual planning and implementation procedures on the
other has had devastating effects on women. We haye (hosen to look at credit schemes
because
