This classic text by Ester Boserup was the first investigation ever undertaken into what happens to women in the process of economic and social growth throughout the developing world and serves as an international benchmark. It examines what happens to marriage systems and to women’s rights in land when agriculture is modernized. It looks at the changes that occur when, in the process of industrialization, large numbers of families leave their rural homes for towns and cities. It also considers the issue of job discrimination against women in developing industries. A substantial new Introduction by Camilla Toulmin, Director of the International Institute for Environment and Development, and Nazneen Kanji and Su Fei Tan reflects on Boserup’s legacy as a scholar and activist and the continuing relevance of her work. Key areas of examination include highlighting how the role of women in economic development has or has not changed over the past four decades in...
