For decades, researchers have examined the impact of development programmes on women - and evidence of sustained gender discrimination has inspired local, national, and international policy reforms. This work explores empowerment efforts in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

For decades, researchers and policymakers have examined the impact of development programs on women - and evidence of sustained gender discrimination has inspired local, national, and international policy reforms. But has the empowerment movement increased women's confrol of resources? Has it had the desired effect on gender relations traditionally defined by patriarchal ideology and institutions? Addressing these questions, this study explores international, national, and local empowerment efforts in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The result is a nuanced account of empowerment goals and strategies at all levels of initiative.

Introduction - the Editors. * Women and the United Nations: Norms, Reproductive Health and Rights, and Population Policy - C.G. Patton. * The Empowerment of Women Through International Law - K. Suneja. * State Ideology and Women in Rural China - K. Tsai. * The State, Development, and Empowerment in India - R. Datta. * Structural Adjustment and the Empowerment (or Disempowerment) of Women in Niger and Senegal - L. Creevey. * Structural Adjustment Policies in Mexico and Costa Rica - V. Anastasakos. * Making Waves: Women and Development in the Caribbean - M. Miller. * The Empowerment of Palestinian Women in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip - S. Sarsar. * Conclusion: Assessing Women and Empowerment - the Editors.