Strategies for Promoting Gender Equity in Developing Countries - Lessons, Challenges, and Opportunities - Edited by Elizabeth Bryan with Jessica Varat

Oct 15, 2026

Strategies for Promoting Gender Equity in Developing Countries analyzes why gender inequality persists across household, community, and societal levels in the developing world, highlighting constrained access to resources, weak decision influence, low representation in public bodies, limited market bargaining power, and fewer opportunities for socioeconomic advancement. It reviews how Women in Development (WID) and Gender and Development (GAD) approaches evolved, compares the ongoing debates about which strategies work best, and synthesizes expert perspectives from a 2007 Woodrow Wilson Center convening to outline lessons, challenges, and opportunities for action.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages37

Reading Time1 h 33 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction and Executive Summary

Women and the Development Challenge

Evolution of Gender Equity Strategies

Expert Convening and Panel Themes

Setting the Context: Approaches to Promoting Gender Equity

Jane S. Jaquette and Aruna Rao

New Avenues for Change

The Way Forward

Appendix I: Agenda

Appendix II: Biographies of Panelists and Moderators

Strategies for Promoting Gender Equity in Developing Countries Lessons, Challenges, and Opportunities Edited by Elizabeth Bryan with Jessica Varat Strategies for Promoting Gender Equity in Developing Countries Lessons, Challenges, and Opportunities Edited by Elizabeth Bryan with Jessica Varat July 2008 The WooDroW Wilson intErnational CEntEr for sCholars , established by Congress in 1968 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a living national memorial to President Wilson. The Center’s mission is to commemorate the ideals and concerns of Woodrow Wilson by providing a link between the worlds of ideas and policy, while fostering research, study, discussion, and collaboration among a broad spectrum of individuals concerned with policy and scholarship in national and international affairs. Supported by public and private funds, the Center is a nonpartisan institution engaged in the study of national and world affairs. It establishes and maintains a neutral forum for free, open, and informed dialogue. Conclusions or opinions expressed in Center publications and programs are those of the authors and speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Center staff, fellows, trustees, advisory groups, or any individuals or organizations that provide financial support to the Center. The Center is the publisher of The Wilson Quarterly and home of Woodrow Wilson Center Press, dialogue radio and television, and the monthly newsletter “Centerpoint.” For more information about the Center’s activities and publications, please visit us on the web at [www.wilsoncenter.org](www.wilsoncenter.org). Lee H. Hamilton, President and Director Board of Trustees Joseph B. Gildenhorn, Chair David A. Metzner, Vice Chair Public Members: James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress; Bruce Cole, Chair, National Endowment for the Humanities; Michael O. Leavitt , Secretary, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services; Tamala L. Longaberger, Designated Appointee of the President from Within the Federal Government; Condoleezza Rice, Secretary, U. S. Department of State; G. Wayne Clough, Secretary, Smithsonian Institute; Margaret Spellings, Secretary, U. S. Department of Education; Allen Weinstein, Archivist of the United States National Archives and Records Administration Private Citizen Members: Robin B. Cook , Donald E. Garcia, Bruce S. Gelb, Sander R. Gerber, Charles L. Glazer, Susan Hutchison, Ignacio E. Sanchez Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars One Woodrow Wilson Plaza 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20004-3027 [www.wilsoncenter.org](www.wilsoncenter.org) Cover Photograph: “Women in Kenya”© Lorena/ Flickr Acknowledgements A number of programs and projects within the Center collaborated in the organization of this event. Special thanks go to Cynthia Arnson, Director of the Latin American Program; Julie Doherty of the Global Health Initiative; Karin Bencala and Alison Williams of the Environmental Change and Security Program; Natalie Jackson of the Africa Program; Mejgan Massoumi of the Comparative Urban Studies Project; and Bhumika Muchhala of the Asia Program. Rosemarie Moreken and Emilia Rodriguez-Stein of the Inter-American Foundation (IAF) were also strongly supportive of this conference. We are also thankful to Miryang Youn, Public Policy Scholar at the Wilson Center, and Rosemarie Moreken, IAF, for providing moderation at the event. Julie Doherty and Michaela Hoffman of the Global Health Initiative and Sheree Adams and Marisha Peña of the Latin American Program also provided assistance in editing this conference report. 1 5 11 22 25 27 Table of Contents Introduction and Executive Summary Setting the Context: Approaches to Promoting Gender Equity Jane S. Jaquette, Occidental College Aruna Rao, Gender at Work New Avenues for Change Cathy Feingold, American Center for International Labor Solidarity Andrew Levack, Men as Partners, EngenderHealth Angelina

FAQs

What disadvantages do women face in developing countries, according to the report?

Women face disadvantages at household, community, and societal levels, including less access to and control over resources and limited influence over household decisions. The report also notes limited access to communal resources, under-representation in public decision-making, reduced bargaining power in markets, and fewer opportunities to improve socioeconomic position.

What strategies are discussed for promoting gender equity in development efforts?

The report describes the emergence and evolution of multiple strategies to promote gender equity, with particular historical context for Women in Development (WID) and Gender and Development (GAD) approaches. It also emphasizes that debates continue about the relative effectiveness of these strategies.

How does the report structure expert input for its conclusions?

On April 26, 2007, the Woodrow Wilson Center convened experts to examine gender inequality from multiple perspectives. Panelists discussed past efforts to promote gender equity and identified effective strategies for moving forward, covering approaches, new avenues for change, and the way ahead.

Oct 15, 2026

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