'For centuries, social reforms for widows and other single women in India have meant the setting up of ashrams and widow re-marriage. The widows who have banded together to contest their exclusion under the banner of the Ekal Nari Sangathan, in Rajasthan and other states, reject those dated solutions. These women are demanding their rights and dismissing the welfare approach. They are bringing colour back into their lives.'

Who’s afraid of girls? The Iranian government, it seems. Recent years have seen a dramatic rise in the number of Iranian girls enrolling in universities and other institutions of higher education. While many governments would see this as a blessing worth boasting about, that's not the case in Iran.

In a report to the administration of President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s Research Center of the Majlis (parliament) recently called the trend of more girls going to universities 'alarming' an more...

The power dynamics of militarism in the Asia-Pacific region rely on dominance and subordination. These hierarchical relationships, shaped by gender, can be seen in U.S. military exploitation of host communities, its abuse and contamination of land and water, and the exploitation of women and children through the sex industry, sexual violence, and rape. Women’s bodies, the land, and indigenous communities are all feminized, treated as dispensable and temporary. What is constructed as “civiliz more...

'This publication is about the stories of a dynamic group of women who are on the front lines in the fight against AIDS. These 12 leaders came together for CEDPA’s WomenLead in the Fight Against AIDS workshop, held Sept. 12 – Oct. 7, 2005 in Washington, DC. Each has a powerful story to tell about AIDS in her country. Their stories help us understand how the pandemic affects the lives of women and their families, and the way forward.'

'This presentation examines one example of how the private sector can realize the “double bottom line” of contributing to social development while achieving its business objectives. The Shakti Entrepreneur Program developed by Hindustan Lever in India trains underprivileged rural women as entrepreneurs to promote its products. This creates economic and social opportunities for the women and their communities, while allowing the corporation to increase its profits by reaching a new segment of more...

This report compiles and reviews evidence from existing studies, exploring the linkages between gender inequality, economic growth and development. The findings suggest that decreasing gender inequalities has the potential of accelerating human development and growth. Impairment of women’s right to equality and empowerment not only denies a human right but also sabotages development.(pdf:60pages)

The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) has launched a community of practice for advocates of women's entrepreneurship. The Community of Women Entrepreneurs (CWE) shares ideas, experiences, best practices, and resources to empower women economically and politically. Members of CWE are leading entrepreneurs and business advocates who share their knowledge and in return receive fresh ideas from their peers. Discussions in the community focus on supporting a culture of entrepreneursh more...

The Story

Background and context: Rural Uganda is a difficult place for women. Many women are the primary providers for households, either responsible for doing much of the agriculture work, or running a small business. Despite this role as providers, men, not women, usually have access to credit and local business exchanges.

The Uganda chapter of the Council for the Economic Empowerment for Women of Africa (CEEWA) tries to rectify this problem and help women find the financial resources t more...

People's Communications for Development is a three-year study conducted by Isis International-Manila in collaboration with four partner organizations in India, in Thailand, in the Fiji Islands and in Papua New Guinea. In coordination with organisations involved with grassroots women across these five countries, the study analyses extensive interviews and focus group discussions in order to examine the relationship between communication tools and empowerment within the lives of grassroots women i more...

The paper explores employment, education and poverty amongst Pakistani women within the context of women's rights guaranteed by the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Variations in opinion exist among region and employment status. By Karl Feld and Will Hayes, D3 Systems. The full paper can be found at http://www.d3systems.com/public/public/wimc.asp