Requirements of women and men to improve their position or status. Addressing these needs allow people to have control over their lives beyond socially-defined restrictive roles. Strategic gender needs for women might include land rights, more decision-making power, equal pay and greater access to credit. Practical gender needs, by comparison, are those needs required to overcome development shortcomings, that are gender-specific but do not challenge gender roles, such as access to healthcare, water availability and employment opportunities.