Chant, Sylvia, 2007, Gender Generation and Poverty: Exploring the 'Feminization of Poverty' In Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Chant, Sylvia, 2007, Gender Generation and Poverty: Exploring the 'Feminization of Poverty' In Africa, Asia and Latin America. Chant, Sylvia, 2007, Gender Generation and Poverty: Exploring the'Feminization of Poverty' In Africa, Asia and Latin America,Cheltenham, Edward Elqar Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781843769927 (cased).ISBN 9781843769934 (Paperback). The relationship between Gender Generation and poverty is dynamic,complex and powerful, constantly shaping and reshaping the course ofboth gender and poverty. Yet despite its importance, our understandingof this relationship has long been related to the fact that women arethe majority of the world's poor, their disproportionate share ofpoverty is rising relative to men. Also 'Feminization ofPoverty' is linked with the 'Feminization of HouseholdHeadship', as manifested widely that women-headed households arethe 'Poorest of the Poor'. Sylvia Chant, the author of this volume, is professor ofDevelopment Geography at the London School of Economics, UK. As aspecialist in Gender and Development, her previous books includeWomen-Headed Households, Women Survival and Mexican Cities, Women oflesser Cost, to name a few. This volume is a useful reference work concerning the currentglobal status of women. At its heart are profiles of Gender, Generationand Poverty in the Gambia, the Philippines and in Costa Rica. Thesecountry case studies are farmed by three chapters: the introductory onepresents the common characteristics of 'Feminization ofPoverty' on Mexico-level Poverty Reduction Initiatives, Key Concernand Question About the Feminization of Poverty, Finally the Enquiriesinto the Feminization of Poverty in this volume has long been open todifferent definitions, tools of measurements, and modes of presentation.In chapter two, the measurement of poverty. While chapter threeidentified the main understanding barriers to the gender responsivenessof poverty analysis. The chapter provides an overview of investigationand debate on the context of the Global South; three chapters presentthe concerns of the case studies: the first section of each chapterprovides a general synopsis of key characteristics of development,poverty and gender in the country concerns including discussion ofpertinent factors such as education, employment, wages and incomes, anddemographic and household transitions. Attention is also given to state,international and NGOs initiatives to reduce poverty and genderinequality. In the second part of each chapter draw on the primaryfieldwork with women, and men at grass roots, and with key institutionalpersonal opinions of different stakeholders on gender and generationaldimensions of poverty. This introduces and justifies the commonmethodology used. The cases illustrate that gender differences do notstrictly follow lines of economic development, and show enormousdiversity of experiences across the countries examined. While the authordraws the common features in the concluding chapter, the cases standcomplete in themselves. Within each case a fine balance has beenachieved between applying a common methodology and allowing anappropriate degree of freedom in each particular case. Each country caseattempts to draw out particular strong lines. The strength of the methodological design lies in the prominencegiven to the examination of statistics on regional, and nationaldemographic, economic and social trends, existing indicators of povertyand well-being of family, youth and elderly. The concluding chapters draw out the major theoretical,methodological and policy implications and raise some challenges topolicy makers and activists who are concerned with women futurewelt-being. The volume offers a useful discussion of findings which indicatesthat men and women often poor for different reasons, experience povertydifferently, and have different capacities to withstand and/ or escapepoverty. The volume will be of interest to students of gender anddevelopment, and to development workers and policy makers seeking tomake a comparative analysis to women's well-being. Forty six pagesdevoted to bibliography; this will also make it a useful reference forresearches. By: Dr. Asia Maecawi Ahmed-Assistant Professor, School ofManagement studie