Woman's Role in Economic Development by Ester Boserup
A documented investigation into what happens to women in the process of economic and social growth throughout the Third World. Covering the situation in Africa, Latin America and Asia, Boserup considers the role of women in the development and modernization of poor countries in terms of topics such as land rights, employment, land rights, industrialization and marriage systems. One of her main arguments is that the change from traditional to modern economic systems hinders rather than helps women's participation in the labour force. Modernization widens the gap in levels of knowledge and training between men and women and augments men's prestige at the expense of the women's. The author's publications include The Conditions of Agricultural Growth.