Left-behind for Development: the Situation of Development-Induced Displaced Women from Indigenous Communities What is Development? The foundation of social work is development, which is the process of growth, progress, or advancement in a given situation. As we promote the inherent value and dignity of our clients, development does not correspond solely with their improved quality of life, nor does it correspond solely with the fulfillment of their material requirements. We must apply our level of analysis to the development of our larger system, such as the nation in which we reside. This is because the dynamics of the political, economic, and social systems have a significant impact on every individual's life. As social workers, we engage in macro level practice and direct practice equally. We must familiarize ourselves with our social environment in order to understand what hinders or challenges our client's development and what opportunities and resources we can utilize to assist them. It is also a step towards fulfilling our role as advocates for the disadvantaged, vulnerable, and marginalized. We must also stay abreast of global events in order to hone our analytical skills and learn from the experiences of other nations, which are pertinent to us. Different indicators of development exist. Typically, development refers to economic growth characterized by a high output of products and services resulting in a healthy national income. Development is also measured by the well-being of the country's citizens, including their quality of life, education, employment, and health, among other factors. Moreover, environmental protection is correlated to economic and social development. The ecosystem is essential to the social, physical, and economic well-being of people, as well as their ability to preserve their cultural heritage (United Nations, 2012). Environmental preservation generates employment opportunities, income sources, and optimal use of natural resources. Additionally, it has a positive effect on our health, as air and water quality improve, we are protected from hazardous debris, and our habitat becomes more comfortable to live in. Therefore, we must achieve a balance between our economic and environmental activities. The international community aims to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It is an influential political concept that strives to address the numerous problems caused by economic imbalance and wealth inequality in the world today (No Future Without Justice: Report of the Civil Society Reflection Group on Global Development Perspectives, 2012). This necessitates that both developed and developing nations act on emerging development issues and aspire for global development. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are countries' commitments to implement policies to address issues with inequality, poverty, health, education, and other sectors of the economy, while also fostering economic growth, combating climate change, and protecting the environment (THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development, n.d.). Not only does it encourage economic growth, but it also mandates that nations, especially the commercial and industrial sectors, accept responsibility for their actions and work to ensure that their patterns do not negatively impact the environment and other pillars of development. The purpose of this summative paper is to evaluate initiatives undertaken in Asia for the purpose of development. As used in this essay, "development projects" encompasses infrastructure projects such as dams, road expansion, and railroads, as well as mining, land conversion projects, and any other market-driven actions. The concentration of this summative paper will be on displacement, the removal of residents from their homes as a result of these economic activities. Its purpose is to emphasize, based on the relevant literature, the experience of the internally displaced as a result of development projects and the issues arising from their displacement and subsequent relocation. Moreover, it endeavors to provide a gender perspective on the issue in order to argue that women have a worse experience with displacement caused by development. Development Projects in Asia Infrastructure projects in Asia have made great contributions to the economic growth of the region and eradication of poverty (Asian Development Bank, 2017). There have been a lot of significant improvements made on roads, transportation systems, electricity, telecommunication, sanitation, water supply, sewerage system and climate change mitigation throughout the time. These initiatives provided individuals better access to education, health and other social services. They also generated jobs, enabled economic opportunities, allowed trading and increased the production of goods and services. These projects eased the everyday life of individuals and increased productivity. Also, there are infrastructures made that protect our environment and promote climate change resilience. According to the Asian Development Bank (2017), Asia must sustain its economic development momentum by investing $26 trillion in infrastructure development between 2016 and 2030, or $1.7 trillion annually. The Impacts of Development-Induced Displacement on the Well-Being of Affected Families Development-induced displacement is a global issue in which individuals are forcibly uprooted from their homes to make way for development initiatives (Negi and Azeez, 2022). The government or large corporations have appropriated lands formerly inhabited by a group of people, as well as the natural resources they used to freely enjoy. In India, the number of displaced individuals or the affected individual is about 50 million people in the last 50 years (Negi & Ganguly as cited by Negi and Azeez, 2022). According to Imbong, J. (2021), development-induced displacement follows a neoliberal economic system in which the government imposes fewer restrictions on corporations' land accumulation for economic growth. Unfortunately, it has detrimental effects on the lives of the affected individuals/families. Threat to Livelihood, Food Security and Impoverishment When people are uprooted from their homeland, they also lose their means of subsistence. Long before their displacement, tribes, whose ancestral lands are affected by development initiatives, had established a way of life in their indigenous communities. Their livelihood depends on the natural resources of their land, and they can readily provide for their families. In addition, they have inherited indigenous knowledge and skills from their ancestors, which aid in their survival. Due to displacement, they lost access to community resources. The land they used to cultivate and the natural resources they used to enjoy are now under the control of private companies. The displaced individuals are restricted from their means of production. This situation forced the head of the families to accept cheap labor in development projects, such as mining companies or extensive plantations, to support their families. And in such instances, when the relocation is too far from their home, they are compelled to adjust to the market/labor force in the new community, resulting in difficulties and, worse, marginalization. The impoverishment of displaced individuals even leads to begging, such as in the case of some Lumads (Imbong, 2021). As they move to unfamiliar places, they need access to resources and opportunities. They also need help obtaining employment due to their lack of required work experience and education. Furthermore, discrimination against indigenous people still exists, which adds to their struggles. Loss of Cultural Identity Displacement also caused the tribes to lose their cultural identity (De Debasree, 2015). Indigenous people have unique characteristics, social relations and way of living that are deeply rooted in their culture. Leaving their communities has an impact on their sociocultural life. They lose their ties with their groups as they get separated. Tribal leaders lose their authority and social status as they get mixed into their new community. Members of the indigenous population who are accustomed to community assistance in conflict resolution and survival struggle with their adaptation. Removing them from their ancestral land may also destroy their language/dialect, religious beliefs, values, traditions (e.g., courtship, marriage), indigenous knowledge and practices (e.g., hunting, herbal medicines). Their host community may influence them to accept the latter’s culture and subsequent generations of their tribe will adopt it as their norm. This may result in the loss of cultural heritage or its extinction. Vulnerability to Violence According to Imbong (2021), development-induced displacement commonly results to violence. The affected individuals/families are evicted using force and intimidation. Blood is shed when there is resistance. The death of Tribal Indigenous Oppressed Group Association (TINDOGA) - Manobo-Pulangihon Tribe members who opposed Mayor Pablo Lorenzo of Bukidnon, Quezon regarding the hectares of land in dispute is an illustration of this (cited by Imbong, 2021). The killings of Mindanao's indigenous Lumad, who were expelled from their farmlands, have become a heated topic in the Philippines recently. The news contains accounts of harassment, shootings, and red-tagging not only of community members but also of their supporters. Unfortunately, displaced individuals continue to experience danger in their temporary shelter and host community, perpetrated by outsiders and even those from similar situations. Victimized by their difficult circumstances, some of them resort to illegal acts to survive. De Basee (2015) claims that domestic violence and prostitution are prevalent in the slums of displaced individuals from the Adivasi tribe in Odisha, India. Imbong (2021) also asserts that even in the Philippine setting, the socio-economic effects of displacement include involvement in crimes. Impoverished individuals may resort to stealing and other unlawful activities to combat hunger. Intersectionality and Development-Induced Displacement Intersectionality is a political concept that asserts that individuals experience discrimination differently based on their identities (Coaston, 2019). Due to their overlapping identities (e.g. their characteristics or group association), the inequality they experience is magnified. In the case of development-induced displacement, women are considered to be in highly vulnerable positions. As women and indigenous people who are internally displaced, their experience is poorer compared with internally displaced men and other women who do not have the similar situation. According to Deng & Lyons (n.d.), the ability of displaced women to earn a livelihood is less than that of displaced men. As stated, displaced men were offered employment in development initiatives, including mining, plantation, and construction. This employment requires physical strength and manual labor, which women cannot perform due to their physical limitations and domestic responsibilities, such as child rearing. This circumstance causes tribal women to become dependent on their husbands, which marginalizes them even further. Solo parents and women, who have lost their spouses due to land disputes, face significantly more challenges. Back on their ancestral lands, tribal women have access to communal resources because they are readily available and close to their dwellings. However, they now lack control of community resources and struggle to adjust with the market economy of their new environment. Indigenous women are disadvantaged due to their economic reliance on their spouses. According to Borphukon (2015), alcoholism is pervasive in displaced communities, frequently leading to domestic violence. As a result of unequal gender relations at home, women are subjected to abusive relationships. Inadequate employment opportunities for women and allocating land and resettlements to male household heads rather than women further contributed to gender inequality. Conclusion and Recommendations Inequality persists in development initiatives; an example is the marginalization of displaced individuals. These development projects may promote economic growth, but they also threaten the well-being of affected families. Development-induced displacement dispossesses groups of people of their right to their homeland and its community resources, resulting in a lack of livelihood and making their poor condition poorer. The affected families, particularly the indigenous people uprooted from their ancestral territory, are at risk of losing their cultural identities as a result of the loss of their homes, which are imbued with their culture. Furthermore, they are vulnerable to human rights violations due to conflict arising from land disputes. In addition, a review of the existing literature demonstrates that women face greater challenges during development-induced displacement. Women are marginalized in various ways as women, indigenous people members, and displaced individuals. They are afflicted by unemployment, violence against women, and social inequality. Therefore, the Philippine government should strictly implement the Indigenous People’s Rights Act to protect the ancestral lands and the social, economic and cultural wellbeing of the indigenous people. Additionally, the government should provide safety nets for those afflicted by development initiatives. There should be a clear plan in place for them that does not conclude with their relocation, but continues until their rehabilitation and reintegration. This means that the displaced individuals will be able to reestablish their means of subsistence, culture, and other social contributions. Furthermore, these rehabilitation policies and programs must be gender-friendly. They must always consider women in social preparation, planning and implementation as well as the monitoring and evaluation phase. Their strategies may include provision of counseling, compensation packages and vocational training for women. There must be a community organizer who will encourage the displaced women to form a self-help group to empower each other, teach them livelihood skills and engage them in social activities. The objective of development efforts should be to foster inclusive and sustainable growth. No one, including women and indigenous people, should be left behind. 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