Community engagement refers to interaction that a person has
with others in their community and the community as a whole.
Community engagement provides the opportunity for social
connectedness, which enables people to achieve shared goals.
Social connectedness is linked not only to the health of
individuals but to the health of communities. Because of the
ways gender roles have traditionally been defined, community
engagement has meant different things for women and men. In some
engagements, women and men contribute equally, but in other
areas, such as volunteering or giving support, women and men
engage differently. Some information about women and community
connectedness includes: - Between 2001 and 2003, 83% of women
had some time in paid work, compared to 95% for men. - Almost
double the percentage of women than men had spent time ‘not in
the labour force’ (40% and 21% respectively). These differences
are partly attributed to the demands of childrearing, which
still rest more heavily with women. - 84% of