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Rural-urban migrants are the major contributions to the labour force that drives the manufacturing sector in Laos. Migrants, particularly young women, contribute abundant cheap labour to garment industries. Despite their hard work and contribution, the living and working conditions for migrants are often overlooked. This thesis explores the migration, livelihoods and wellbeing of migrant women working in the garment factories in Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. This thesis focuses particularly on how working in the factories and living in the city affects the wellbeing of women. The field research was conducted in three garment factories in Vientiane where most garment factories are located. The data was obtained mainly from ten individual interviews and four focus group sessions with women workers. Additionally, ten officials from public and private sector were interviewed to bring additional perspectives into this research. The theoretical framework of the study derives from the sustainable livelihood framework to explore the main aspects of women’s livelihoods. Also, Marxist, radical and post-structural feminist theories are incorporated into the framework to analyse the issues facing migrant women. This research pays attention to how women are oppressed as a subordinated class and gender, as well as to how women individually and collectively use their agency to improve their conditions. This thesis claims that working in the factory and living in the city have both positive and negative consequences for women workers. It has increased the human, social and financial capital of women workers. However, women were oppressed in many forms by their capitalist employers as well as by men inside and outside the factory. However, although women workers experience exploitation and oppression, they are able to construct their new identities and develop strategies to cope in their everyday lives.

Over the last two decades, Indonesia began to implement Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to provide an alternative mechanism for providing public infrastructure. The need to accelerate development, fulfil national demands and address mounting fiscal constraints are the reasons behind choosing PPP approach. One of the infrastructure projects using PPP mechanisms in Indonesia is Central Java Power Plant (CJPP) project, which is claimed to be the largest power plant in Southeast Asia. The project bidding was won by three consortia including ITOCHU Corporation, Adaro Power and J-Power, while the Government of Indonesia provided a guarantee for this project through the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Indonesia Infrastructure Guarantee Fund (IIGF). The project is built under Build, Operate, Own, and Transfer (BOOT) PPP model. In continuing academic research about PPP in general and CJPP in particular, this study was conducted with the aim of exploring critical issues and challenges in implementing PPPs in CJPP project. Three issues were chosen for particular examination, including governance, environment and social issues. This study was conducted by adopting a qualitative approach under a constructivist epistemology to gain meaning and knowledge from certain phenomena or specific circumstances, in this case, by using CJPP as a single case study. Document reviews, semi-structured interviews, and unstructured observation were carried out from July to September 2018 to gain information and perspectives from multilevel stakeholders who are in charge, involved in and were impacted by the implementation of PPP mechanism in CJPP. Stakeholder Analysis and Sustainable Livelihood Approach were taken as the framework for data analysis. This study found that top-down approach applied to implementing PPP in CJPP project left some governance issues and dynamics about power relations and regulations; conflicting stakeholders’ interests; communication and knowledge gaps; and dualism

The rise of ethical certifications was greeted with optimism by scholars, activists and development practitioners, who predicted they would help to redistribute power and profit more equitably in South-North commodity trade, which has long been an engine of wealth extraction and underdevelopment in the resource periphery. The explicit attachment of value to the social and territorial origin of agro-food products would allow marginalised producers to resist corporate governance, race-to-the-bottom processes, and commodity fetishism. This would result in the retention of higher value at the production end of the chain, thereby fostering sustainable development in rural areas in the Global South. I investigate the extent to which power and profit is indeed redistributed more equitably in these new ‘ethical value networks’, through a case study of the South African wine industry. Complex apparatus of standards-setting, verification and auditing have formed the basis of strategies for post-apartheid transformation, redistribution and development in the South African wine industry, with progress conceptualised as taking place at the level of business. In this context, ethical certification constitutes a contemporary labour relations paradigm which in key ways reproduces ‘colonial unconscious’ discourses derived from the legacies of slavery, apartheid and farm paternalism. These embedded discursive power formations restrict the transformative potential of ethical certification. For ethical development to occur as a result of ethical value network formation, I argue that workers must gain greater agency and regulatory capability in the governance of these networks. I find also that ethical certification has not been an effective economic upgrading strategy for the South African wine industry. Instead, due to their deployment within oligopolistic networks, ethics have become commodified, and subject to neoliberal governance. Northern retailers have used their existing power

In 2016, field research in the Cook Islands explored the correlation of migration, education and development in the Pacific by focussing on the impacts of tertiary education migration on the development of the Cook Islands. A total of 29 participants contributed to this research, most fitting into at least one of these three categories: a) returned tertiary education migrants b) non-returned education migrants, and c) Cook Islands Governmental officials. Depopulation is one of the greatest challenges for the Cook Islands today. While striving for rapid development and for meaningful participation in an ever-changing global economy, obtaining overseas university degrees is seen as an attractive option for many young Cook Islanders. It is not only seen as a way to contribute to the development of their home country, but to also ensure that opportunities for personal growth are abundant. With many fearing that the departure of the ‘brightest minds’ to overseas universities results in brain drain, this research explores the drivers for the decision-making regarding migration. It further discusses the lived realities of tertiary education migrants who chose to return home after obtaining an overseas university degree and the implications of this movement for the Cook Islands Government. This research found that the key drivers for the decision-making regarding tertiary education migration may not be reduced to the availability of quality university study, but that there is a variety of other factors that influence young Cook Islanders. Instead of preventing young promising Cook Islanders from leaving the country, this research suggests that the overseas diaspora could be a valuable resource to contribute to Cook Islands’ development. Further, this research found that strictly applying the neo-classical approach to migratory processes does not seem sufficient to explain the perceived hurdles and enablers for returned graduates from the Cook Islands.

Over the last decade, construction of hydropower dams has increased rapidly around the world, including in developing countries. For many countries including Laos, energy production and export play a significant role in promoting and boosting economic growth and development. Energy production generates substantial revenue and foreign exchange from exporting electricity and expands economic activity domestically. However, construction of hydropower dams also causes negative effects on the people who live at and around the dam site. Some local communities have been affected indirectly, while others require relocation to other areas bringing significant change, including for women. This research explores the impact of resettlement from hydropower dam creation on women by using the Nam Mang 3 hydropower dam in central Laos as a case study. This dam, completed in 2005, required the relocation of approximately 150 households from two villages at the dam site. The research draws on a social constructivist epistemology, qualitative methods including semi-structured interviews, and analysis of relevant policy documents. Interviews involved 18 participants including both male and female from the three affected villages. Results indicate that the resettlement of villagers by the Nam Mang 3 hydropower dam has generally improved living conditions of the resettled communities. Women were found to have greater opportunities to benefit from home-based business, employment and wage labouring. In addition, with better access to modern facilities and services, women have been able to save greater time from agricultural activities and divert this time saving to other economic activities. Overall, access to water supplies, roads, and transport have reduced women’s workload significantly. Access to improved health services and facilities have also improved women’s wellbeing. Girls have greater opportunities to attend school and seek employment in towns. However, this research identified

Women’s empowerment is the most recent approach to women in development. The inclusion of women’s empowerment in development policies has recently gained traction in Papua New Guinea (PNG). However, the effectiveness of such policies has been questioned in its efforts to support local women to improve their lives. This study was undertaken to understand Australia’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) to PNG in terms of the contribution of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to supporting women’s empowerment in Oro province through the implementation of its Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Strategy 2016. With the huge gender inequality gap in PNG and the rise in Gender-Based Violence (GBV), women’s empowerment is an approach that can contribute to helping local women improve their lives. The purpose of this study was to understand the trickle-down effect of Australia’s ODA to subnational organisations in PNG, and its contributions to women’s empowerment in Oro province. The study used a qualitative approach involving policy document reviews and interviews with research participants. The key findings from this study show that there is no direct support to local women’s organisations in Oro province either from DFAT or the PNG government; there are some issues with implementation and ownership of DFAT’s Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Strategy and the PNG government’s gender policies in Oro province; and that women’s coalitions can be a vehicle for change in local communities in Oro province. This study offers benefits to DFAT programmes in PNG, and to national government agencies tasked to review their gender policies; as well as the Oro Provincial Administration; the Oro Provincial Government; and the Oro Provincial Council of Women. The study suggests topics for further research. It also suggests that DFAT’s Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Strategy, and its associated funding have the potential to improve women’s lives in Oro

In aiming to graduate from Least Developed Countries status by 2020, and in joining the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, the Government of Laos has been seeking to sustain a high rate of economic growth and to develop a skilled and proficient labour force. As such, economic development has been a focus of the government and developing skilled and proficient labour is important. Education, especially tertiary education, has also been a priority of the Government of Laos. However, the gender gap still exists in every education level with high fees just one barrier for women to get into higher education. Promoting women’s access to tertiary education is important for closing the gender gap and improving women’s livelihoods, as well as contributing to the country’s economic development. The research explores the main barriers to women’s access to tertiary education, concentrating on family characteristics, individual motivations and social norms. Utilising a feminist lens, qualitative research has been undertaken through semi-structured interviews. Thirty interviews were conducted, including women who were current students in tertiary education institutions and women who were not in any tertiary education institution. Information regarding tertiary education policies and implementation of these policies was also gathered from key information interviews and secondary information. The research found that family financial status is the main barrier for women to continue their education in higher education. When the family budget is limited, most parents prioritise the education of males. Furthermore, the perception that women have less opportunity to gain a job than men persists widely – and acts as a disincentive for women to access tertiary education.

Poverty alleviation is a top priority of the global development agenda. Laos is still on the list of Least Developed Countries as measured by the United Nations. Poverty in the Lao context is socially and culturally unique. The Government of Laos works collaboratively with development partners and non-governmental organisations to overcome poverty through development programmes throughout the country. However, the universal development and poverty definitions, including the development and poverty interventions which are influenced by such definitions, do not necessarily match the local contexts and practices. This thesis examines development practice and community engagement in the Lao context through exploring experiences and perspectives of development practitioners who have worked in and engaged with community development in Laos. The thesis adopts a qualitative approach, drawing upon a social constructivist epistemology and a postcolonial framework. Semi-structured interviews, a form of qualitative methodologies, were employed for data collection. The interviews involved thirteen participants from both governmental and non-governmental organisations, and included both local development workers and expatriates. The focus of interviews was to investigate experiences of and opinions about their development practice and community engagement in Laos. The findings reveal that development practice in Laos requires sufficient time to understand and learn about communities and their actual problems. Development discourses have conceptualised understandings associated with development and this has shaped how governments, donors, development partners, policymakers and development practitioners perceive mainstream development. The conceptualisation was mainly influenced by Western ideologies and was undeniably a legacy of colonialism. Participatory development approaches have been recommended by all research participants as one of the most effective approaches to bring abo

In Laos rubber plantation investment has increased significantly in recent years, supported by the Government. Farmers decide to cultivate rubber trees in order to generate greater income and diversify their agricultural activities. However, rubber planting also creates impacts on the livelihoods of farmers. This research aims to examine the impacts of rubber plantations on two communities in Vientiane Province. Utilising the sustainable livelihood framework, this research seeks to understand how the introduction of rubber plantations affect livelihood activities, the local land use system, and the environment in the case study communities. Key positive impacts include increased income and job opportunities. However, increased rubber planting reduces the availability of land for crops and livestock rearing and also creates some adverse environmental impacts. Overall, rubber production significantly modifies local agricultural production systems and resource use decision making in communities.

Angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) is an endogenous inhibitor of lipoprotein lipase that modulates lipid levels, coronary atherosclerosis risk, and nutrient partitioning. We hypothesize that loss of ANGPTL4 function might improve glucose homeostasis and decrease risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). We investigate protein-altering variants in ANGPTL4 among 58,124 participants in the DiscovEHR human genetics study, with follow-up studies in 82,766 T2D cases and 498,761 controls. Carriers of p.E40K, a variant that abolishes ANGPTL4 ability to inhibit lipoprotein lipase, have lower odds of T2D (odds ratio 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.85-0.92, p = 6.3 × 10-10), lower fasting glucose, and greater insulin sensitivity. Predicted loss-of-function variants are associated with lower odds of T2D among 32,015 cases and 84,006 controls (odds ratio 0.71, 95% confidence interval 0.49-0.99, p = 0.041). Functional studies in Angptl4-deficient mice confirm improved insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis. In conclusion, genetic inactivation of ANGPTL4 is associated with improved glucose homeostasis and reduced risk of T2D.

The first recorded scholarship programme in Sāmoa began in the 1920s under the New Zealand Administration. Since that time, more and more students have travelled abroad for education both through sponsored and privately-funded programmes. This thesis examines the stories of 18 Sāmoan research participants who emigrated from their homes for western education. It examines how their experiences have contributed to the development of Sāmoa as a ‘nation’ “Folauga” is a common Sāmoan term for a “journey” and can be used in different contexts. The most common context for folauga is the literal journey where people travel from and arrive at a particular destination. There are many and diverse motivation ns leading to the decision of the 18 research participants to migrate. However, no decision was made independently. With the support and assistance of their respective āiga (family), they were never alone. From birth they were taught the value of the āiga and fa’a Sāmoa (the Sāmoan way) and when they studied abroad their āiga were at the forefront of their minds, but so too was fa’a Sāmoa. These 18 research participants excelled in both the western and Sāmoan worlds. They gained qualifications and experience that supported their āiga, and ultimately benefited Sāmoa as a ‘nation’. The 18 participants did not all return to Sāmoa to live permanently. Some moved to Fiji and others to New Zealand. This should not be viewed negatively because through transnationalism, Sāmoan migrants are very much connected to their homelands through money, goods of many different kinds, artefacts, ideas and symbols. Their migration often involves individuals, families, groups and institutions. It is important however to define ‘Sāmoa’ in the context of this argument. Sāmoa has two constructions of place and of people: the first is Sāmoa as a land-mass and geo-political-legal jurisdiction that is centred on the land and sea and is vital in acknowledging roots and a place of identity. The second co