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.

"The 2012 report recognized that expanding women's agency - their ability to make decisions and take advantage of opportunities is key to improving their lives as well as the world. This report represents a major advance in global knowledge on this critical front. The vast data and thousands of surveys distilled in this report cast important light on the nature of constraints women and girls continue to face globally. This report identifies promising opportunities and entry points for lasting transformation, such as interventions that reach across sectors and include life-skills training, sexual and reproductive health education, conditional cash transfers, and mentoring. It finds that addressing what the World Health Organization has identified as an epidemic of violence against women means sharply scaling up engagement with men and boys. The report also underlines the vital role information and communication technologies can play in amplifying women's voices, expanding their economic and learning opportunities, and broadening their views and aspirations. The World Bank Group's twin goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity demand no less than the full and equal participation of women and men, girls and boys, around the world." -- Publisher's description.

According to a recent population report by the United Nations, "in most countries, older women greatly outnumber older men. In many cases, the difference is so large that the concerns of the older population should in fact be viewed primarily as the concerns of older women." Internationally, the concerns of older women emanate from the unique gendered challenges they experience because they are more likely to be widowed, poor, have lower educational attainment, fewer skills, restricted inheritance and land ownership, and have fewer sexual rights. To add to this negative scenario, ageist and sexist attitudes in both developed and developing societies throughout the world tend to categorize older women as non-contributing burdens even though they are in fact often highly productive and bear most of the burdens of family caregiving responsibilities. In spite of their majority status and list of concerns, older women are less likely to be equally represented in the literature on aging. This edited book introduces the reader to the diversity, challenges and contributions of older women in several of the major regions of the world. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Social Work.

This book examines the legal, administrative, and regulatory barriers that are preventing women in Kenya from contributing fully to the Kenyan economy. Building on the 2004 FIAS Improving the Commercial Legal Framework and Removing Administrative and Regulatory Barriers to Investment report, this study looks at the bureaucratic barriers facing women in Kenya through a gender lens.

Despite increasing reports across the globe on renewable development and maintenance, little is known regarding what strategies are required for improved economic growth and prosperity in Africa. Improving an understanding of the methods for promoting growth through reusable resource development and administration is a vital topic of research to consider in assisting the continent's development. The Handbook of Research on Sustainable Development and Governance Strategies for Economic Growth in Africa provides emerging research on the strategies required to promote growth in Africa as well as the implications and issues of the expansion of prosperity. While highlighting sustainable education, pastoral development pathways, and the public-sector role, readers will learn about the history of sustainable development and governmental approaches to improving Africa’s economy. This publication is a vital resource for policy makers, research institutions, academics, researchers, and advanced-level students seeking current research on the theories and applications of development in societal and legal institutions.