Articles discuss how gender mainstreaming has been understood in different organisations; provide examples of good work, which supports the empowerment of women; and look beyond gender mainstreaming to what new possibilities exist for transformation.

This paper on Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers on Guinea explains medium-term development framework to achieve Millennium Development Goals and fulfill the authorities’ vision of Guinea as an emerging economy in 15 to 25 years, respectful of human rights and gender equality and supportive of the rule of law. It sets out medium-term policies that Guinea should implement to place itself on a path to development that would allow it to fulfill its ambition to become an emerging economy by 2035. This scenario foresees strong and lasting average annual growth, supported by ambitious policies for modernization of agriculture.

Guinea’s 2007–10 Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper is intended to reestablish strong, sustainable economic growth in a favorable political and institutional context. The percentage of underweight children under age five has increased from 25.8 percent in 2005 to 26.1 percent in 2008, indicating a slight increase in malnutrition. The coverage of vaccination against measles for children under age one declined from 85.3 percent in 2007 to 65.4 percent in 2008. The number of health centers nationwide remains unsatisfactory despite a modest increase from 399 in 2007 to 410 in 2009.

Research on global norm diffusion and institutional transfer has often neglected the agency of the governed. This collection argues that limited statehood – the lack of state capacities in most parts of the global South – provides opportunities for the governed to raise their voices and be listened to. Thus, people on the receiving end of development cooperation, state building, or security interventions can significantly shape global dynamics of normative and institutional change. Drawing on the emerging body of literature on the agency of the governed, this book assesses the current dynamics of transfer and diffusion studies at the interstice of political science and social anthropology. By focusing on the agency of the governed, the authors integrate a broad spectrum of issues and debates, from the proliferation of global norms to state and security building to international policy cooperation. This book will be of interest to students and researchers of global politics and international relations, particularly those focusing on the global South. It was originally published as a special issue of the online journal Third World Thematics.