'Boserup's contribution to our thinking on women’s role in development cannot be underestimated. Her keen observations, her use of empirical data and her commitment to greater gender equality are still an inspiration to students, researchers and activists who are interested in a better and more equal world.'
From the new Introduction by Nazneen Kanji, Su Fei Tan and Camilla Toulmin

This classic text by Ester Boserup was the first investigation ever undertaken into what happens to women in the process of economic and social growth throughout the developing world, thereby serving as an international benchmark. In the context of the ongoing struggle for women’s rights, massive urbanization and international efforts to reduce poverty, this book continues to be a vital text for economists, sociologists, development workers, activists and all those who take an active interest in women's social and economic circumstances and problems throughout the world.

A substantial new Introduction by Nazneen Kanji, Su Fei Tan and Camilla Toulmin reflects on Boserup’s legacy as a scholar and activist, and the continuing relevance of her work. This highlights the key issue of how the role of women in economic development has or has not changed over the past four decades in developing countries, and covers crucial current topics including: women and inequality, international and national migration, conflict, HIV and AIDS, markets and employment, urbanization, leadership, property rights, global processes, including the Millennium Development Goals, and barriers to change.

About the author(s)

Ester Boserup (1910-1999) was born in Denmark. A respected economist, she worked for many years as a researcher and consultant with the United Nations and other international organizations. Her other works include The Conditions of Agricultural Growth.

Nazneen Kanji is Director of a Quality of Life assessment programme with the Aga Khan Development Network. Su Fei Tan is a Researcher at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) currently studying the linkages between decentralization and local management of natural resources. Camilla Toulmin is Director of IIED, an economist and co-editor of Towards a New Map of Africa (2005).

Contents

Introduction * Part I: In the Village * Male and Female Farming Systems * The Economics of Polygamy * Loss of Status under European Rule * The Casual Worker * Part II: In the Town * Women in a Men’s World * Industry: From the Hut to the Factory * The Educated Woman * Women in the Urban Hierarchy * Part III: From Village to Town * The Lure of the Towns * Urban Job Opportunities for Women * The Unemployment Scare * The Design of Female Education * Index