Productive activities A. Cultivate non-irrigated field

120 From: Djoeroemana, S., Myers, B., Russell-Smith, J., Blyth, M. and Salean, I.E.T. eds 2007. Integrated rural development in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Proceedings of a workshop to identify sustainable rural livelihoods, held in Kupang, Indonesia, 5–7 April 2006. ACIAR Proceedings No. 126. Hunting Hunting wild animals such as wild boar and deer is an activity for men. Labour, weaving and plaiting Labour here means builder carpenter. It is men’s role to be builders, which tends to be seasonal depending on the project. Weaving is a women’s activity during the dry season, because during the wet season women work in the garden and, anyway, thread absorbs water so that it becomes wet and sticky interview, 5 January 2006. Plaiting, which is done by women at night or in spare time, produces products such as mats, kinds of flat baskets, baskets, betel-nut boxes and movable covers for food. Gener- ally, every woman in rural areas in NTT is able to weave, except for those from certain villages where it is forbidden by their custom. The products of weaving or plaiting are used domestically or sold. Reproductive role Women’s natural function is to menstruate, be pregnant, give birth and breastfeed, and with their femininity, they are to be in the house. Housework including child care, care for the elderly, house cleaning, washing, collecting water and collecting firewood is considered to be women’s work because they need care, patience, wisdom and neatness. The traditional domestic roles are perpetuated by parents through the habitual processes of family life. Girls are accustomed to helping their mothers cook, clean the house, take care of their younger sister or brother, and clean up plates, while boys are accustomed to helping the father outside the house. Socialisation of domestic and public roles is handed down and taken for granted by the younger generation in rural com- munities. For women, especially in rural communi- ties in NTT, domestic work is considered to be a natural obligation or task. Women take care of chil- dren and provide food either from their garden, storage or market. They wash clothes and clean their house. Women also continue doing productive work such as weaving and feeding small domestic animals. It seems strange if boys cook, wash clothes and clean the house. Not only men, but also women, consider it improper that men do housework such as cooking, child-rearing and washing. Women will feel guilty if they leave domestic work for their husband or men of the family. For them, psychological and social binding to women’s tasks is very strong and accepted as natural. Social role The involvement of rural women in productive and social activities cannot be considered as a benefit of development but more as a potential tool or measure to get earnings and welfare White 1991: 20. Rural women are involved in activities of integrated health- care units, Dasawisma group of 10 houses, social activities, traditional ceremony, and visiting patients and sick people. They do this because of social responsibility and familial relationship. They are also dominant in religious activities such as worship, choir practice and prayer groups. As an illustration, women are the dominant active members in three prayer groups in Belo, while male members join the group only when they have to play guitar or deliver a sermon. Observations during the first 3 weeks of January 2006 showed that, of 12 members of one group, only one was male and he joined to deliver a sermon. The same situation happened the next week. Of the 16 members who joined the worship, only one member was a man, and he joined to play guitar. There is an impression that women are calmer than men and there is a strong relationship among members to bear the burden of life by praying. Women will feel something is lost if they are not involved in any social, health and religious activities in their community. Even if they are tired from working all day, they will try to join in if there is a religious activity. The analysis clearly shows that both men and women play active roles and contribute to the life of family and society, and women play a major role. Development in rural areas Rural women have a role inside and outside the household although they have less access to informa- tion, education, banks or economic centres, health centres and the justice system. They give a special characteristic to families and rural communities. The question is to what extent this reality should be antic- ipated institutionally by government and private sectors through activities designed for rural women. The results of an evaluation done by the Women’s Study Center of Undana in January 2006 shows that activities implemented by the 48 local government sectors of NTT in 2005 were not responsive to gender. This affirms the thesis proposed by Longwe and Mafriana on male dominated development projects. Sector programs should be gender respon-