the issue of women as opposed to their integrated planning has faced strong apposition in favour of full and complete integration in al1 aspects of the mainstream of national development (16). Cultural practices and prevailing traditional
attitudes may favour women-specific approach, but in the long-runsuch cultural and traditional factors should be discouraged and,
give away to full integration. As a way of achieving womenintegration in development, national laws and policies should avoid gendei—distinction. Since the integration of women's issue in the area of development may imply the transformation of a society, conducive conditions should be created for WID in
national planning. Such integrative approach could create conditions of equality between men and women, where both could,equally participate in development process and could equal 1y enjoy the benefits of such development. In order to achieve this
goal , the ex isting development pianning and administrative structure should be reconsidered or re-examined for equalinclusion of both sexes in all sectors of development.
Strong official commitment on the part of planning authorities and other concerned political leaders to promote the
integration of women's concern in national development planning and to ensure its practical implementation is of paramount importance. Such commitment: must emphasize full participatory approach of women in all spheres of development where they could
(16) UNICEF, UNICES Programme. Guide! ines, (Women Programmes) ,
Volume 4, Hay 1909,
Such involvement in the process of planning, implementing and evaluating development plans would provide women with more and more economical and soc ial -freedoms.
Against this background , pianning models may be used an an ex pi icit selection of some economic and social variabl es -for model--buil ding to depict women's integrative approach . Thus, spec i-fie areas of activities most common -for women's integration shoul d be ex pi ored and ident if ied . Sel ect ive identification o-f sectors having greater impact on women's concern in development is necessary. The best planning models that may concern women in stream o-f development may be re-fl ected in areas o-f activities, where women are most commonly engaged and are more productive.
These may include sectors such as (1) agriculture, <2) trade, (3) industry, (4) community services, (5) public services, (6) increasing women membership in various co-operative movements, and (7) equal employment .
The above sectoral identifications to be included in model -building for integrating women in development pianning may be elaborated as follows:
1- Agriculture. Women's participation in agricultural activities may be reflected in the productions o-f food and cash crops, as we! 1 as in gardening . Women pi ay strategic role in -food production to support the family, and un-f artunatel y their contributions to the economy in this important area has remained unrecorded and unrecognized , as it is traditional 1y considered as unpaid fami 1y 1abour .
Women also partic ipate in the production of cash crops for domestic and export markets , but they have 1ittle or no share in the proceeds from the sales of such products. Hence it is important that thxs ^r&s. should al so be identified and be included in development planning models.
Equally important is that women take active role in animal husbandry and in raising livestock and taking care of other domestic animals. This aspect of women activities would also provide important &r&& for the inclusion of women's issue in planning models.
2- Trade . Women frequently f ind themselves in such areas of commercial activities incl uding whol esale and retail
distributions, banking, insurance and tourism. Goods and services
commonly offered for sales in the market by women sellers houldalso be identified and assessed to be included in planning model
building .24
-3. Industry,. Other common areas where women tend to engage themselves include such industrial sectors as handicraft and 1 ight industries i rival ving food , textile and beverage -factories;
chemical , pharmacentical , pulp and paper industries, as well as electronic and computer industries. These sectors of the economy likewise provide important ingredients -for model building to integrate women in development planning,
4. Community Service?. Women engage themselves in such areas of social activities, especially in health and educational activities. Women provide medical and sanitary services; they participate in teaching activities, especially children and sometimes adult groups. These areas involving women participation must also be identified and recognised to be included as part of planning models for women integration in development.
5. F'ubl ic Services. Women also assume clerical and secretarial activities in publ ic and private off ices . Although most of clerical and secretarial jab seem to be of law—paying nature, 1 arge number of women tend to participate in this area, which can also be of worthwhil e inclus ion into the pi anning models.
6. Increasing women membership in various co-operative movements must also be identified and encouraged as part of women's pianning models .
"? ■ Equal Empi oyment ■ Women should also be accorded equal empl oyment opportunities in al1 sectors of economic and social activities. Along with men, women should be employed in both skilled and unskilled labour, especially in agriculture, industry and soc ial services. Measures should be taken that women 1 ike men, be employed in industrial and agricultural productions as tractor and machine - operators, 1 ivestock farmers, car and 1orry drivers, repair workers, builder and other areas of employment opportunities available for men as well as for women (17).
To construct planning models regarding the integration of women in planning, profound research studies should be made and statistical facts and figures should be available. Adequate data collection need to be made in the above economic and social sectors.
There is al so a need to include women as equal partners in policy for decision-making process, as well as in managerial and 1eadership positions.
Sov i et Legisl at ion on Women ' s Rights, Moscow, Progress Publishers, 1978, P.94.
Planning models shoul d also speci-fy technological investment needs for the integration of women's issue. Identification of areas of investment in th is respect is important . Some of the work burdens fal1 ing on women refer to the provision of food, water and energy suppl iss. Women carry water and col 1 ect -f irewoods sometimes from far away places. Women also use traditional methods of preparing food for the family. Recent survey idnciates that Ethiopian women, on average, work not 1 ess than 15 hours a day, working the whole day an farm, preparing food and doing other house works in the evening (18).
To relieve women from such workloads, national development plans should take account of the fact that these areas of women's workload be identified and necessary investment measures be made in appropriate techno!ogy. Most of the newly introduced technological know-hows tend to favour male workers than female partners (19), especially in the area of agriculture, industry and infrastructure. For example, applications of modern fertilizer (20) and improved seeds to better and tire!ess production of food and cash crops tend to favour men than women.
Ways of providing near water supply, flour mills and modern energy supply should also be recognised and necessary measures be taken to include them in planning schemes. The need for the reconstruction of rural roads has a.n important impact on the integration of women's issue in planning and hence the formulation of national development plans should also take account of this aspect of in-frastructural devel opment .
Another area of work 1oad that consumes women's time, which otherwise could be put to other productive uses, is the taking care of children up to maturity. To relieve women from such additional workload, measures should also be taken tc provide investment pianning in k idnergarten .
In dealing with such planning models the knowledge of population and labour statistics by sex is important to determine the relative size of women in both national population and in total labour foce. Such statistical knowledge would provide spec if ic nature of female 1abour force . In order to work out gender integration, understanding socio-economic situation and specific needs of both sexes, gendei—based statistics is extreme!y important ■ The availabil ity of such statistical data on gender lines Ar& conductive to better formulation of strategies for integrating women in development.
(18) Oral information obtained from Wome's Affair Office of the Minsitry of Agriculture during recent visit to Bahir Dar by the author.
(19) Warren C. Baum and Stokes M.Tolbert, Op. Cit. PP. 88-89.
(20) Ibid.
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