FGM/C is rooted in gender inequality and is used as a form of social control over women. While the practice and the decision of putting a girl through FGM/C may be taken by the girl’s mother or another female relative, there is a need to contextualise these decisions within societies that are strongly patriarchal. Underpinning early marriage, early pregnancy, lack of girls ...» more
Helpdesk Reports
These rapid-response reports provide digests of key research findings, lessons and expert thinking on specific questions from development practitioners and policymakers. If your question is not already covered below, ask us for a report (free for staff of agencies that we have existing arrangements with).
Early marriage and sexual and reproductive health
Although the marriage of adolescent girls has been declining in many regions of the world, significant proportions are still marrying at a young age. Early marriage is most common in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Central America. This report focuses on the relationship of age of marriage with: Age of onset of sexual activity: A delay in marriages has in some cases ...» more
Output-based aid in water and sanitation
Output-based aid (OBA) is one of a range of results-based financing approaches which aims to improve development outcomes by linking the disbursement of aid money to achievement of specified outputs by service delivery partners. There is considerable experience with OBA in the transport sector and in Latin America, but very little experience and evidence in the water and ...» more
Shame, Self-Esteem and Poverty
Shame and self-esteem have long been considered inherent components of poverty. Adam Smith first emphasised the relative character of poverty, arguing that poverty was better captured by indicators such as ‘ability to go about without shame’ than absolute material measures. More recently, this relational understanding of poverty has been championed by Amartya Sen who has argued ...» more
Women’s control of productive natural resources
This report looks at women’s access to and control of natural resources, especially water and forests. While it does not specifically look at women’s access to land, access to other natural resources are strongly linked to ownership and control of land (IFAD 2007; FAO 2007). As women continue to face restrictions on land ownership and control over land due to socially ...» more
The impact of human trafficking on people and countries
Human smuggling and trafficking have become a world-wide industry, incorporating millions of people annually, and generating an annual turnover of billions of dollars. The impacts of trafficking are felt both in the countries from which people are trafficked, and the countries to which they are trafficked. In both sets of countries there are implications for: Society, including ...» more
Combating human trafficking – approaches and lessons
Human Trafficking is a global problem. International legal consensus on the issue was reached with the ratification of the Convention on Organised Crime in Palermo in 2000, ratified to date by 117 countries (146 Parties in total), and its associated Protocols (the Palermo Protocols), including the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially ...» more
Political Trends in Sub-Saharan Africa
This report uses data from the World Governance Indicators dataset, the Ibrahim Index, Freedom in the World, Afrobarometer and Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) to map political trends in Sub-Saharan Africa between 2000 and 2010 both in terms of numbers and weighted by population. The population-weighted values are strongly influenced by the performance of Nigeria, Ethiopia, ...» more
Beneficiaries’ perspectives in research on cash transfer and social protection programmes
The extent to which beneficiaries are included in cash transfer/social protection programmes, and the success and nature of this inclusion depends on a variety of factors, including the circumstances surrounding the programme’s inception and implementation; the ethos of the organisation(s) involved; and the nature of the programme itself. Researchers recognise that ...» more
Public sector provision of services in PNG
Despite the initiation of a series of public sector reform policies in Papua New Guinea (PNG) since the late 1990s, service delivery and accountability remain weak. There has been a disconnect between the adoption of sound policy making and actual implementation at all levels of government. This has resulted in variation in performance between sectors and over time. Specific ...» more
Early Warning Indicators of violent conflict
This report provides a general overview of the literature on conflict early warning systems (CEWSs) and identifies the most commonly-used indicators of violent conflict. CEWSs use a variety of data sources and models to predict conflict. These systems usually distinguish between long-term structural factors, medium-term proximate or accelerator factors, and short-term trigger ...» more
Effects of the ‘Arab Spring’ on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region
This report assesses the impact of the Arab Spring on the MENA region, drawing on briefings, reports and articles to identify the main issues raised by experts. Because the events analysed here have occurred very recently, much of the analysis is lacking in rigorous documentary evidence. While this report focuses on regional impacts and implications of the protests, it also ...» more
Good practice findings of donor efforts to support sustainable gender equality
This report reviews a selection of academic and donor literature examining donor work on gender equality and female empowerment. Most of the available literature focuses on organisational strategies to achieve gender sensitive programming rather than directly on equality outcomes. While promising donor approaches to gender equality and female empowerment were found, less ...» more
Cash payments in DDR programmes
Cash payments to ex-combatants are a common feature of Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programmes, yet there is considerable debate in academic and donor circles about the benefits and risks of using them. Evidence on the impact of cash payments in DDR programmes is mixed, and experience has not been universally positive. Cash payments may take various ...» more
Evaluations of programmes on women and work in low income countries
This report provides an overview of the findings of evaluations of programmes aiming to create jobs for women, improve their working conditions, and address unpaid work in low income countries. Most organisations that have programmes covering these issues work under the umbrella of women’s empowerment in general. Programmes aiming to create employment possibilities for women ...» more
Key messages from research on women and work in low income countries
Women in low-income countries continue to face significant barriers to obtaining paid work, and when employed suffer worse pay and working conditions than men. Although in the 1980s and 1990s women’s participation in labour markets in developing countries grew substantially, over the past ten years, the tendency toward increased participation has slowed down. Women are ...» more
Mapping key authorities on women and work in low income countries
This helpdesk research report provides an overview of key academics researching women and (paid and unpaid) work in low-income countries. The authorities live in, and work on, different geographical regions, and are based at universities and other research institutions. Many of the themes to do with women and work are crosscutting, demonstrated by the multiple areas of research ...» more
Religious Identity and Inequality in the MENA region
The Middle East region (and Egypt in North Africa) is considered to be rife with religious tension. Proponents of this view argue that this is so because religion constitutes a significant part of the political culture in the Middle East and in particular, in states with a Muslim religious tradition. However, more generally, a 2009 comparative study (Akbaba 2009) of religious ...» more
Understanding Sectarianism in MENA countries
There is some debate about how sectarianism, particularly as it relates to the Middle East is commonly conceptualised. For many in the Middle East, it has come to be defined as the process of ascribing political and social claims or rights on the basis of religious adherence and belonging. However, scholars stress the importance of developing an appropriate conceptual framework ...» more
Policies to counter sectarianism in MENA countries
The usual method employed by Middle Eastern states to counter sectarianism has been the use of force. Under authoritarian governments, discriminatory policies regarding service delivery and political representation and the threat or use of violence have proven effective in countering sectarian opposition. It is also important to note that Middle Eastern regimes have tended to ...» more
