Gender Issues in International Development Co-operation (ODA) Projects: Analysis of Major Research Trends

Abstract

Recently, in the Official Development Assistance(ODA)project, so-called cross-cutting issues such as gender and environmental issues are emerging as important concerns. This study focused on analysing the central research topics of ODA projects relating to gender. For this purpose, academic papers on gender-related ODA projects were analysed using the text-mining method. We compared papers published in Korean journals with those published in foreign journals, identified the differences, and, further, sought to draw out the implications for establishing the direction of gender ODA policy in Korea. In the case of Korea, there is insufficient experience in promoting gender-related ODA projects, but it has been found that major foreign donors have performed projects in this field for
a long time. Therefore, from the standpoint of Korea it is necessary in the future for Korean gender-related ODA projects to be carried out mainly in programmes, and at the same time they must be undertaken in conjunction with programmes to combatdisease, health problems and education problemsin the recipient countries..