Women in the Third World: Gender Issues in Rural and Urban Areas

Women in the Third World provides an up-to-date general account and review of research on the roles and status of women in contemporary Third World societies. The book focuses on four major themes of underdevelopment which have particular relevance for gender roles and relations: the household, production, reproduction and policy. These issues are illustrated with material from rural and urban areas in all parts of the Third World. The book summarizes significant ideas and findings.

Lynne Brydon and Sylvia Chang have avoided a narrow focus on particular regions and countries to provide a synoptic overview. In addition to being a valuable source of reference for scholars interested in gender and development in the Third World, the book also attempts to pinpoint fundamental aspects of gender inequality which apply to women everywhere. The overriding conclusion of the book is that women’s experiences of development are generally negative and that intervention is urgently required to prevent their positions relative to men’s deteriorating still further.