Women’s Participation in Grassroots Development: Insights from the Integrated Development Plan in Kayamandi, South Africa

This article investigates participatory development in South Africa and focuses on a Stellenbosch municipality as a case study. It identifies gaps related to women’s participation in grassroots development projects within the framework of the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) in South Africa. The objective of this study is to investigate the level of women’s participation in development projects and identify factors that undermine women’s participation at the grassroots level and the participatory approaches used to enhance women inclusion. These approaches aim to capacitate and empower them to achieving sustainable development and gender justice. The study employs a qualitative case study design and fieldwork-driven approach to analyse the ways in which South African municipalities use participatory methods to engage communities in development projects. The data were collected using semi-structured in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, observations and fieldnotes from fieldwork. The research draws on the theory of participatory development to frame the analysis of women’s participation in grassroots development processes through the IDP. The study offers valuable insights into the connection between participatory development and gender inequalities in South African communities. It provides recommendations for policymakers, NGOs and development practitioners to adopt more inclusive and gender-sensitive strategies in sustainable development efforts.