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As the Covid-19 pandemic caused schools, workplaces, and childcare centres to close, pressures in the home increased. Much of the additional unpaid work required under these conditions was done by women. Most women's magazines at this time urged women to stay positive and develop wellbeing routines to help them flourish. This approach reinforces normative neoliberal subjectivity with its roots in therapeutic culture and the happiness industry. While the focus on self-care may seem empowering, it puts more pressure on women in times of upheaval. Based on a thematic analysis of pandemic-related content in Australia's most popular women's magazine, The Australian Women's Weekly, we identified three key themes: 'finding the silver lining', 'making lifestyle choices', and 'recognising hardships and social divides'. While self-responsibilising discourses were prominent, some articles acknowledged the broader structural issues impacting women, revealing a tension between competing discourses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intergovernmental institutions recommend tourism development as a policy goal for reducing gender inequality through employment channels. However, such approaches ignore the indirect and induced effects of tourism sector development on women's employment through male dominated forward and backward linkages. Adverse spillover effects of tourism-related sectors limit the impact of tourism on generating women's employment. With this goal in mind, the study estimates the spillover effect of tourism sector development on the gender gap in selected employment indicators of 27 European Union countries between 2008 and 2019. Results show that development in the tourism sector, measured by the number of tourists per active population, improves the gender gap in labor force participation, employment, and unemployment among EU countries. Considering the precarious working conditions of the tourism sector, results only reflect a limited aspect of women's empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore the practices of intimacy among Emirati spouses in a society where gender discrimination persistently governs the private space of family relationships. Participants include 41 young Emirati working wives aged 24–30 who have jobs and are enrolled in graduate studies and research degrees (PhD and MA). In-depth interviews were used to collect data. Line-by-line coding, thematic coding, and constant comparison method were employed to analyze and interpret data. Analyses revealed seven interrelated categories associated with the gendered practices of intimacy. They were influenced by factors such as the wives' status, the gap of age, and the wives' religiosity. These themes are suppressed self-disclosure, restricted self-disclosure of wives, not sharing responsibilities, not sharing time, unequal mutual reciprocity, not solving problems, and not thinking together. Narratives highlighted gendered interaction and low quality of intimacy between spouses. The findings of this study show that empowering women in the public sphere has not impacted their position in the patriarchal structure of the family, which is reproduced by traditions and religious interpretations. This study's findings can inform social policymakers aiming at bridging empowerment between the public and private spheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most interaction designs unknowingly discriminate against certain groups of people, and video-on-demand platforms are often included among such designs. This study presents an introduction to the adoption of a gender perspective in the user experience design of the search engine of a video-on-demand platform. User experience design includes, in essence, user needs in order to eliminate the obstacles users may encounter on their way to having a productive, straightforward and rewarding experience. This project was carried out using established user experience methods and techniques. The final design provides a prototype for an advanced search engine within a video-on-demand platform and includes all the elements in the filtering system of the main catalogue. It eliminates the gender gap and promotes women's empowerment, thereby providing an experience where users feel comfortable and satisfied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trial universal basic income (UBI) programmes in developing nations around the world have yielded positive results with respect to individual health outcomes, income, women's empowerment, decreased child labour and much more. Concomitantly, UBI trials provide evidence that fears that UBI decreases labour force participation are based more on classist mythology than reality, and, rather, increases employment. Despite these promising results, implementation of UBI programmes will mean overcoming significant partisan political forces. As such, the focus of this commentary is to explore the most prominent barrier to the implementation of UBI programmes in both developing and wealthy nations, namely, conservative political opposition. UBI programmes are generally promoted by liberal politicians and implemented in liberal jurisdictions. However, these programmes can advance outcomes aligned with conservative principles. We chronicle the current and historical conservative opposition to UBI and argue for UBI programmes using common conservative talking points, positioning them as holistic market-based solutions to counter fragmented social services, means to foster vocational opportunities and a catalyst to promote economic growth. A discussion of how reframing UBI programmes to align with conservative principles alters attitudes towards UBI is included. The acceptance of UBI programmes across the political spectrum is paramount for achieving widespread implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The book review discusses "Spatial Justice, Contested Governance and Livelihood Challenges in Bangladesh: The Production of Counterspace" by Lutfun Nahar Lata. The book explores the right of the urban poor in Dhaka to access public spaces for their livelihoods, focusing on street vendors and their struggles with forced evictions and discriminatory practices. It examines the production of space and the right to the city, highlighting the constraints imposed by state regulations and elite-centric planning. The book also addresses gendered aspects of accessing public space and the limitations of NGOs in organizing the urban poor. Overall, it provides valuable insights into urban governance, spatial inequality, and the need for inclusive policies. [Extracted from the article]

As a crucial part of the booming Chinese cultural creative industries, online literature has stood out for its great economic benefit and broad social influence in recent decades. The prospering of online literature in China owes a great deal to the rise of Chinese women as writers in this huge industrial chain. This study explores the initiatives and implications of women's online literature creation in China under the framework of women's empowerment. Drawing on data collected through digital ethnography and semi-structured interviews, it mainly addresses whether online literature creation empowers Chinese women in the digital era. Overall, I conclude that online literature creation might dynamically empower women as writers at both individual and collective levels in both material and non-material forms, yet such creation is still faced with serious challenges stemming from the precarity of the platform economy, the prevalence of patriarchal values, and the rigor of nation-state censorship in contemporary China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we explore the impacts and implications of 'Rojiroti', a women's self-help group (SHG) microfinance scheme operating in poor communities in Bihar, India. We focus particularly on how improvements found in women's circumstances and in children's health might result from Rojiroti SHG membership. Through data from 5 focus groups and 19 individual interviews with women in communities where Rojiroti operates, we discover how the scheme is regarded and how it affects women's management of household budgets. Moreover, we explore the relational aspects of SHG microfinance and the ways that it can alter family and social dynamics. Drawing on notions of 'earmarked' money and 'safeguarded' money, we argue that the money itself has meaning and non-pecuniary value in the form of other currencies, including power and agency, which can lead to the improved well-being and health of families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although festivals are often promoted as opportunities for community empowerment, power dynamics during festival organization might hinder such potential. To discuss this issue, this article examines the Alter do Chão Film Festival (FestAlter), an originally collaborative project in the touristic village of Alter do Chão, Brazil. Through 16 interviews with festival stakeholders, the article unveils the changing power dynamics within the organization of the festival, and how these impacted the event's goals of community participation. I argue that the organization of this event moved from union to rupture among festival stakeholders – a trajectory caused by managerial divergences regarding the meaning of community participation and a lack of understanding of the history, culture and socioeconomic circumstances of Alter do Chão, an Amazonian village marked by enduring legacies of colonial exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research has identified the difficulties of promoting women's empowerment using microcredit, but there has been little research on the potential for empowerment from promoting women's savings. We address this gap through a qualitative study of three women's savings programmes in the Highlands of Peru. The results reveal changes in several domains of women's lives (economic, personal and relational), emphasizing that these programmes enable them to think about the future, expand their social support networks, and become entrepreneurs. We conclude that savings interventions have considerable advantage over microcredit programmes for facilitating female empowerment and that the merits of these interventions go far beyond financial inclusion with significant impacts on women's psychosocial well-being and broader empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's agency in Peace and Conflict Studies has received increased policy attention since the formulation of UN Security Council Resolution in 2000. Academic attention regarding this question has, as a result, also increased dramatically in the intervening period. Women today, as a consequence, are not just seen as victims of conflict, but also as agents of change. Despite their vulnerabilities in the situations created by conflict, women may be exposed to new knowledge and opportunities, which may have positive impacts on their lives. Therefore, it is important to recognize the lived realities and the multiple stories of postwar societies to address the new needs of people and build a sustainable peace. This article examines the everyday lives of women in post-conflict Nepal to demonstrate the significant transformations that have taken place since the war. It specifically investigates conflict-induced social and structural changes through the lived experiences of women tempo drivers, war widows, women ex-combatants and women politicians. This article is based on the analysis of 200 interviews and six focus group discussions (FGDs) carried out over a period of 12 years in seven districts of Nepal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development is complete only with genuine acknowledgment of the roles of women as well as their active engagement in all forums – political, economic, and social forums – in life. Providing a conducive environment for women has been a developmental debate in India for many decades now. Yet India's progress and performance on women's empowerment and gender mainstreaming leave much to be desired by global standards. Women who venture into business or entrepreneurial activities seek active support – spousal and familial – right from the beginning stage of the venture. However, experience seems to suggest that such perceived support systems turn around and in themselves present social impediments to the healthy development of women-lead enterprises. This article is a case study that attempts to portray the travails of a group of young women who attempted to launch an enterprise in a rurban setting. This article describes the social challenges posed to the Unarvu Self-Help Group, in the Trivandrum district of Kerala, and their resilience in overcoming these impediments. This article is a reflection of the experience undergone by many women, and also showcases the resilience generated by self-motivated women venturing as entrepreneurs in the wake of resistance and impediments. The article is a qualitative portrayal of experiences of a social worker trainee in dealing with the issues hindering women entrepreneurship. This also opens up new avenues for professional social work engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nakachi illustrates how many doctors registered their opposition to criminalisation by criticising government policy at conferences, failing to report non-clinical abortion cases to prosecutors, and quietly providing their patients with abortions even if they did not meet the extremely limited criteria for securing one legally. Mie, Nakachi Replacing the Dead: The Politics of Reproduction in the Postwar Soviet Union, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2021, 328 pp.; £25.99 hbk; ISBN 9780190635138 The USSR became a world of women following the total destruction of the Second World War. [Extracted from the article]

Empowering women and girls to gain access to resources is necessary to close the gender asset gap and reduce poverty. I bring together how the gender and development (GAD) approach conceptualizes the inclusion of men and boys in development programming with an analysis of a ‘Girl Effect’ intervention seeking to empower adolescent girls through land. This analysis adds to scholarship on the Nike Foundation’s ‘Girl Effect’ campaign and reveals the structural, gendered relations of power that girls must contend with and how such empowerment includes boys and men. Modes of their inclusion indicate that the ‘Girl Effect’ has not always overcome previous GAD critiques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on three years of ethnographic fieldwork in a multi-ethnic immigrant Muslim congregation in a Midwestern city in the United States, this article scrutinizes the intricate process through which women use traditional gender roles and expectations to legitimate and operationalize women’s leadership. This study found that de facto congregationalism has made it possible for Muslim women to translate their ‘traditional’ responsibilities for food preparation and socializing children into greater visibility and voice in both the mosque and broader society. This study provides an in-depth examination of the nuanced processes of women’s empowerment in American Muslim congregations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article traces the mounting interest in, and visibility of, girls and young women in development (WID) policy, especially since the turn of the twenty-first century when a ‘Smart Economics’ rationale for promoting gender equality and female empowerment has become ever more prominent and explicit. ‘Smart Economics’, which is strongly associated with an increased influence of corporate stakeholders, frequently through public–private partnerships (PPPs), stresses a ‘business case’ for investing in women for developmental (read economic) efficiency, with investment in younger generations of women being touted as more efficient still. The latter is encapsulated in the term ‘Smarter Economics’ with the Nike Foundation’s ‘Girl Effect’ being a showcase example. In this, and similar, initiatives linked with neoliberal development, ‘investing in girls’ appears to be driven not only by imperatives of ‘female empowerment’, but also to realize more general dividends for future economic growth and poverty alleviation. Yet, while it may well be that girls and young women have benefited from their rapid relocation from the sidelines towards the centre of development discourse and planning, major questions remain as to whose voices are prioritized, and whose agendas are primarily served by the current shift from ‘Smart’ to ‘Smarter Economics’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the empowerment of women factory workers in Malaysia through the lens of Kabeer’s Social Relations Approach. The approach offers an institutional analysis of how gender inequality is produced and calls for the overall terms of exchange and cooperation to be shifted in women’s favour. Its application shows that Malaysian women factory workers face significant challenges, due to the character of institutions, and women’s difficulties in adopting and internalising the notion of ‘empowerment’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews feminist critiques, both on conceptual and empirical grounds, of the contention that microcredit empowers women. It also reviews other critiques of microcredit as being pushed by a neo-liberal agenda to extend the domain of the market or as a development panacea while not really representing authentic development. It makes a case for privileging women’s perception and voice and adds to the literature that does this using a case study from Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a multinational monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system conducted for the international development program African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD). It informs that the program was introduced to promote African women in agriculture by contributing in poverty alleviation and food security in agriculture sectors. It mentions several components of the program which include leadership, mentoring partnerships and building science skills.

Established in 2008 and launched by the then Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, the National Muslim Women's Advisory Group (NMWAG) brought together 19 British Muslim women to advise Government on ways to empower Muslim women and increase their participation in civic, economic and social life. This article critically considers the NMWAG as a vehicle for improving how government sought to engage Muslim women within the context of a political and policy agenda that sought to prevent violent extremism. The article begins with a consideration of the ways in which women's groups - including those which might represent more than one constituency, BME women for instance - have traditionally emerged and mobilised as a means of advocating and lobbying on behalf of those they represent. From here, the article considers how government has engaged with faith communities, paying particular attention to governmental dialogue with Muslims, the reasons for this, and where - if at all - Muslim women have featured. From here, the article approaches the way in which the establishment of the NMWAG is anomalous in comparison to historical processes, putting forward some observations and theories to explain why this might have been so whilst also considering the impacts - both potential and actual - within the context of the post-9/11 era. In conclusion, this article considers the impact of the NMWAG as a means of improving learning about the role and process of governmental engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the 1994 Cairo Conference oh Population and Development as a case study, this paper challenges standard approaches to understanding political consensus. Neither cognitive, social, nor strategic, consensus can be rethought as a metaphor for 'getting along' within a structured disunity. Structure derives from commitment to a socio-technical network, while disunity arises from the interpretive flexibility and varied practices contained within this network. The Cairo Consensus is then explored through a central site of production: international demographic surveys. These surveys help to build a stable network, and thus facilitate consensus, by helping to establish epistemic communities, producing standard representations of Third World fertility, and standardizing political discourses of legitimacy and accountability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reviews the report "Moving Forward: Empowering Women to Desist From Offending -- Exploring How Women Experience Empowerment, Compliance and Desistance During Enforced Contact With a Women's Centre and Probation" by Shelly-Ann McDermott.