This paper finds that, in India, increasing female political representation increases the probability that an individual will attain primary education in urban areas, but not in rural areas, and not in the study sample as a whole. The difference between rural and urban areas may be explained by female politicians investing more in education where women can gain more benefit ...» more
Library
This e-library contains more than 4500 external publications on governance, social development, conflict and humanitarian issues. It includes academic and grey literature selected for its basis in good quality research and coverage of a range of perspectives. Policy-oriented summaries of each document are provided, plus links to the full text.
Citizen Voice and State Accountability: Towards Theories of Change that Embrace Contextual Dynamics
This paper argues that current approaches to Theories of Change (ToCs) are inadequate for citizen voice and accountability (CV&A) interventions: linear ToCs do not capture the complex and dynamic realities of state-citizen relations and of the influences of the wider context on these interactions. It suggests a model for developing ToCs that are better grounded in dynamic ...» more
The Political Economy of State-building in Situations of Fragility and Conflict: from Analysis to Strategy
This synthesis paper draws on studies of Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guatemala, Kosovo and Pakistan. It highlights the 'political marketplace' in which power-holders compete and collude. It argues that donors need to be constantly sensitive to the shifting structures of power, interests and incentives that may capture and subvert new formal governance ...» more
Transforming Disaster Risk Management: A Political Economy Approach
This paper examines recent work by disaster researchers on the complex role of institutional arrangements in shaping policy decisions. It identifies incentive structures, information gaps and intra-governmental relations as key factors affecting the decisions of national and local authorities. It recommends more interdisciplinary research on political processes and policy ...» more
Cities and climate change: Global report on human settlements 2011
In the context of rising urbanisation, climate change is presenting unique challenges that require greater understanding. Challenges range from the physical (increasing heat waves, higher sea levels), but also providing basic services. The impact will be particularly severe in low-elevation coastal zones, where many of the world’s largest cities are located. Despite this, most ...» more
Gender and climate change: Overview report
What is the relationship between gender and climate change? This literature review explores the gender dimensions of climate change, focusing on the differing climate change needs and priorities of men and women. It highlights the need for a people-centered approach to climate change responses, and advocates for an approach in which women and men have an equal voice in ...» more
Social analysis for agriculture and rural investment projects
This series of three guides focuses on applying social analysis (SA) in the design, support and evaluation of agricultural and rural investment programmes, including climate change adaptation. SA is understood to generate more relevant, inclusive, pro-poor and sustainable programmes because it facilitates greater understanding of the socio-economic environment, livelihoods and ...» more
Tackling youth unemployment in sub-Saharan Africa: Is there a role for artisanal and small-scale mining?
Youth unemployment is one of the most pressing issues in sub-Saharan Africa today. There is broad agreement that the issue is intensifying, in large part, due to inadequate efforts to mobilise idle youth. This paper argues that artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) could offer an interim solution to the issue, enabling the time and space necessary to re-evaluate current ...» more
Insurgency and spaces of active citizenship: the story of Western Cape anti-eviction campaign in South Africa
This article explores the practices, agency and vision of Western Cape Anti-eviction Campaign (AEC) members in their quest for social justice. It argues that global neoliberal policies involving privatisation of, and state withdrawal from, the provision of basic services have resulted in simultaneous and contradictory processes of exclusion and inclusion for the poor; at once ...» more
5-year evaluation of the central emergency response fund. Synthesis report: final draft
This evaluation provides an assessment of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) between 2006 and 2010. Intended to inform debates at the United Nations General Assembly on the delivery of humanitarian assistance, it highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the CERF, and provides recommendations at the policy and operational levels to improve its effectiveness. Data ...» more
CDD in post-conflict and conflict-affected areas: Experiences from East Asia
How successful have community-driven development programmes (CDD) in conflict-affected and post-conflict areas of the East Asia and Pacific region been? This paper briefly reviews the World Bank’s experience, exploring which mechanisms worked and what factors affected performance. It finds that CDD projects have has positive impacts on welfare in a range of conflict ...» more
Rights and resources: The effects of external financing on organising for women’s rights
Women’s rights organisations (WROs) have responded to the shifting international aid landscape of the last two decades. This report focuses on how this has occurred within the changing national contexts of Bangladesh and Ghana. It identifies the strong influence external financing has on what organisations do and how they go about it, and offers a model to be used by WROs in ...» more
Does Paid Work Provide a Pathway to Women’s Empowerment? Empirical Findings from Bangladesh
The debate about the relationship between paid work and women's position within the family and society is a long-standing one. Some argue that women's integration into the market is the key to their empowerment while others offer more sceptical, often pessimistic, accounts of this relationship. These contradictory viewpoints reflect a variety of factors: variations in how ...» more
What Works to Prevent Partner Violence? An Evidence Overview
This document reviews the empirical evidence of what works in low- and middle-income countries to prevent violence against women by their husbands and other male partners. The purpose of the report is to help inform the future direction of DFID programming on violence against women with an eye towards maximising its impact and ensuring the best use of scarce resources. It ...» more
Leaders, Elites and Coalitions: The Politics of Free Public Services in Decentralised Indonesia
What factors have shaped the way district governments in Indonesia have responded to their newly acquired responsibilities with respect to the delivery of basic education and health services? This paper explores this question, focusing on the issue of user fees for these services. Since decentralization was implemented in Indonesia in 2001, district governments have had primary ...» more
The Millennium Development Goals Report 2011
This report examines the progress made in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2011 and outlines how to meet the goals by the agreed deadline of 2015. It is based on a master set of data compiled by an Inter-Agency and Expert Group on MDG Indicators led by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the UN Secretariat. The Group comprises representatives of ...» more
The Security Sector and Gender in West Africa: A Survey of Police, Defence, Justice and Penal Services in ECOWAS States
Data on gender and security sector institutions (SSIs) in West Africa are both hard to come by and dispersed. This survey represents an attempt to systematically document the status of gender integration within the security sectors in member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Much of the information in this survey report has never before been ...» more
CEDAW and Muslim Family Laws: In Search of Common Ground
Many State parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) assert that they cannot fully implement the Convention because it is in conflict with Shari‘ah, or family laws and practices based on the Qur’an. The Musawah research project on CEDAW examined the reports of 44 Muslim majority and significant minority countries ...» more
Evaluation of Gender Mainstreaming in UN-HABITAT
This report evaluates UN-HABITAT’s efforts in mainstreaming gender across its programmes and policies, and the appropriateness of its institutional arrangements and strategic partnerships for the promotion of gender equality in human settlements. In addition to the accountability objective, the purpose of the evaluation is to generate lessons to inform decisions about how ...» more
A new strategic vision for girls and women: stopping poverty before it starts
This paper outlines DFID’s new strategic vision on alleviating poverty through empowering women and girls to fulfil their potential. Building on the commitments established by DFID’s Business Plan, it sets out four pillars for greater and more effective action. Its main aim is to significantly improve and sustainably transform the lives of women and girls. The vision is ...» more
