Backlash: Or how to snatch failure from the jaws of success in gender and development

The article argues that backlash against women is the result of women's economic achievements. These achievements are often ignored because they occur after the development 'expert' has left the project, and on a family and community level. The author affirms that developmental projects have not only benefited women, but have harmed them as well. The article presents examples of these backlashes in three continents. Women's participation is complex and dynamic; conflicts arise among women, between women and men and between women and other agencies. Women's economic success generates different reactions among their husbands; either supporting them due to the new acquired status, or by employing traditional ways to regain power. Among women surges is the creation of classes because women who can afford it, pay other women to fulfill their duties in the fields. Backlashes occur because projects disturb the balance of social groups within the community.