Gender in development

Gender relations are deeply rooted in belief systems, whether expressly stated in religious codes, or implied in uncodified social norms. Is it possible to attain gender justice through interventions such as the implementation of laws that embody human rights principles and standards or development policies and programs? A review of the literature in human rights and development yields three responses to this question. The first takes a "hands-off" approach toward culture, taking it for granted that interventions such as non-discriminatory laws and opportunities in education and employment will bring about gender justice. The second legislates against culture, presuming that social practice can be unproblematically modified or abolished. The third is a mediating approach, recognizing that if the lofty Sustainable Development Goal 5 on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls is to be achieved, strategic engagement with culture is inevitable.