This chapter explores the challenges faced by women and the possibilities for improving economic development frameworks for this gender-specific group. It explains why women play an important role in bringing about economic development and what limits their engagement in income-generating activities. After providing a brief context of the evolution of thinking around women and development, from ‘Women in Development’ to ‘Gender and Development’, the chapter considers how and why women have been integrated into processes of ‘development’. It then presents evidence on the importance of women to economic development and highlights constraints on realising the full potential of women in the process of economic development. It also identifies priority areas of intervention for promoting gender equality that in turn will also help bring economic growth.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set by the United Nations were deliberately ambitious, and they have been the subject of much debate. Now, with the 2015 target date for many of the goals having passed, it is time to assess the goals and attempt to determine whether they were effective. Gathering leading scholars from a range of backgrounds and regions, this book offers an in-depth exploration of that question, with the aim of better understanding the effects of the MDGs and learning from them for future policy decisions. It examines the impact of the MDGs on countries and regions such as Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, and discusses a range of topics including anti-poverty transfer programmes, sustainable development, and the role of women in economic development.With the target date for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) behind us, this book asks did they work? And what happens next? Arguing that to effectively look forward, we must first look back, the editors of this insightful book gather leading scholars and practitioners from a range of backgrounds and regions to provide an in-depth exploration of the MDG project and its impact.Contributors use region-specific case studies to explore the effectiveness of the MDGs in addressing the root causes of poverty, including resource geographies, early childhood development and education, women’s rights and disability rights as well as the impact of the global financial crisis and Arab Spring on MDG attainment.Providing a critical assessment that seeks to inform future policy decisions, the book will be valuable to those working in the development community as well as to academics and students of international development, international relations and development economics.Leading scholars and practitioners from a range of backgrounds and regions use area-specific case studies to critically assess the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) project and its impact.