Gender-blind or Gender-bright Targeting of Projects in Cambodia

This chapter describes a study on gender issues in irrigation in Cambodia, which challenged the assumption that female headship of household is an economic (or poverty) indicator. It argues that to understand the relationship between gender and the socio-economic situation of a household, local perceptions of both gender and well-being are crucial, while using an externally derived, gender-analysis framework and categorization, such as female-headed households, may obscure more significant local socio-economic differences.