During the first 10 years since it was designed, the EU-funded SWITCH-Asia Programme has been supporting 95 grant projects across 18 developing countries in South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia. These projects promote Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) amongst Asian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), business intermediaries and consumer organisations. In their pursuit of SCP promotion and related contribution to poverty alleviation and sustainable, environment-friendly economic growth, project propos-als are also encouraged to support women's empowerment. Extensive consultations with projects and a review of their implementation practice indicate that to date approximately 20% of them, including both ongoing and completed projects, have directly contributed to empower women in the course of their interventions, although they do not necessarily have gendered data and reports on results and impact. During their lifetime, 19 projects generated specific results supporting women's empowerment in 11 countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia, which traditionally have some of the lowest rates of women's empowerment in the Asia Pacific region. These 19 projects are presented as case studies in this publication. They are grouped into four main thematic areas, based on their sector of intervention: garment and textile, agriculture and natural resources (jute, rattan and forestry), energy and sustainable consumption.

This publication is the first Asia-Pacific report that comprehensively maps out the intersections between gender and environment at the levels of household, work, community and policy. It examines gender concerns in the spheres of food security, agriculture, energy, water, fisheries and forestry, and identifies strategic entry points for policy interventions. Based on a grounded study of the reality in the Asia-Pacific region, this report puts together good practices and policy lessons that could be capitalized by policymakers to advance the agenda of sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development strives for more balanced development by addressing the economic, social and environmental dimensions holistically. The momentum set forth by this agenda provides an historic opportunity for reducing inequality and closing gender gaps. This publication examines the intersections between gender and the environment at the household, work, community and policy levels, particularly in the spheres of food security and agriculture, energy, water, fisheries and forestry, with a view to providing strategic entry points for policy interventions. Based on a grounded study of the reality in the Asia-Pacific region, this report assembles good practices and policy lessons that could be capitalized on to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

This book investigates the barriers to women’s economic empowerment in the Global South. Drawing on evidence from a wide range of countries, the book outlines important lessons and practical solutions for promoting gender equality. Despite global progress in closing gender gaps in education and health, women’s economic empowerment has lagged behind, with little evidence that economic growth promotes gender equality. International Development Research Centre’s (IDRC) Growth and Economic Opportunities for Women (GrOW) programme was set up to provide policy lessons, insights, and concrete solutions that could lead to advances in gender equality, particularly on the role of institutions and macroeconomic growth, barriers to labour market access for women, and the impact of women’s care responsibilities. This book showcases rigorous and multi-disciplinary research emerging from this ground-breaking programme, covering topics such as the school-to-work transition, child marriage, unpaid domestic work and childcare, labour market segregation, and the power of social and cultural norms that prevent women from fully participating in better paid sectors of the economy. With a range of rich case studies from Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Nepal, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Uganda, this book is perfect for students, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers working on women’s economic empowerment and gender equality in the Global South.

Taking a comprehensive global approach, this book identifies the trends, drivers and impact of gender equality. Providing best practice recommendations and posing key challenges for achieving SDG5, this is the only book which comprehensively deals with all the key aspects of the goal based on the latest credible research.

The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries share common challenges and issues that prevent women from fully benefiting from economic opportunities. Many of these challenges have been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The GMS Gender Strategy outlines a regional approach for advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in the subregion. It identifies strategic directions and key entry points to mainstream gender across all operational areas of the GMS Economic Cooperation Program. The strategy adds value to the GMS Program Strategic Framework 2030 and is also designed to complement national initiatives of the six GMS countries to bolster gender equality.

What progress has been made to achieve SDG5? Bridging the academic and policymaking spaces, this edited collection offers a critical insight and evaluation of the public policies targeted at improving the condition of women living in developing countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America.