Women's Economic Empowerment Insights from Africa and South Asia Routledge Studies in Development and Society Series

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.

Introduction: The Growth and Economic Opportunities for Women Programme Part I: Conceptualizing the Relationship Between Economic Growth and Gender Equality 1. Gender Equality, Inclusive Growth, and Labour Markets Part II: Syntheses of Grow-Supported Research on Women’s Economic Empowerment 2. Stalled Progress 3. Macroeconomics and Gender 4. Developing Care 5. Gender, Social Norms, and Women’s Economic Empowerment Part III: Evidence from Grow-Supported Case Studies in Developing Country Contexts 6. A Mine of One’s Own? 7. Picturing Change Through Photovoice 8. Paid Work and Unpaid Care Work in India, Nepal, Tanzania, and Rwanda 9. Women’s Labour Force Participation in Sri Lanka’s North 10. The School-To-Work Transition for Young Females in Sub-Saharan Africa Conclusion: Programming and Policy Lessons and Future Research Priorities for Women’s Economic Empowerment

Kate Grantham is an international development researcher, educator, and consultant focused on gender equality and women’s empowerment issues.

Gillian Dowie is a senior programme officer in the Sustainable Inclusive Economies programme at IDRC, currently based in Delhi, India.

Arjan de Haan is a senior programme specialist with IDRC's Sustainable Inclusive Economies programme.