Cooperate or Impose? Critical Analysis of Gender Equality in the Case of International Cooperation Between Spain and Colombia

Abstract

This paper analyzes the process of implementing «gender equality» in
North-South development cooperation. The hypotheses argue that the
background of these processes involves a homogenizing desire whereby
the goals of the West should be the goals of the world. The theoretical
discussion is based on modern feminist critical theories. The fi rst part
reviews the main theoretical refl ections related to post-modern feminism,
and the second section provides empirical information on the relationship
between Colombian and Aragonese NGDOs. The main conclusions
state that, on the one hand, post-modern feminist theories represent an
advance in the understanding of current patterns of development cooperation.
On the other hand, in practice, «gender equality» on the development
cooperation agenda often reproduces a type of patriarchal authority.