The Nordic countries have long been seen as pioneers in promoting gender equality. This book brings together scholars from the global South and post-socialist economies to reflect on Nordic approaches to gender equality. The contributors to the book seek to explore from a comparative perspective the vision, values, policies, mechanisms, coalitions of interests and political processes that help to explain Nordic achievements on gender equality. While some contributors explore the Nordic experience through the prism of their own realities, others explore their own realities through the Nordic prism. By cutting across normal geographical boundaries, disciplinary boundaries and the boundaries between theory and policy, this book will be of interest to all readers with an interest in furthering gender equality.

The Nordic countries have long been seen as pioneers in promoting gender equality. The book brings together scholars from the global South and post-socialist economies to reflect on Nordic approaches to gender equality. The contributors to the book seek to explore from a comparative perspective the vision, values, policies, mechanisms, coalitions of interests and political processes that help to explain Nordic achievements on gender equality. While some contributors explore the Nordic experience through the prism of their own realities, others explore their own realities through the Nordic prism. By cutting across normal geographical boundaries, disciplinary boundaries and the boundaries between theory and policy, this book will be of interest to all readers with an interest in furthering gender equality.

Public discussion of population aging usually focuses on the financial burden that increasingly elderly populations will impose on younger generations. Scholars give much less attention to who does the actual work of day-to-day care for those no longer able to care for themselves; and although women are the majority among the elderly, little is heard about gender differences in economic resources or the need for care. This volume is dedicated to giving gender - and a full range of social and cultural differences - their rightful place in these discussions. The authors address, amongst other issues: the worldwide dilemmas of eldercare the structure of income and care provisions for older populations the role of family, marital status, and class in these provisions the impact of polices affecting retirement age the role of social insurance in preventing poverty among elderly women. The essays included address these topics in a myriad of geographical contexts, including South Africa, the US, Palestine, Australia, South Korea, Spain, Germany, and Sweden. The concerns highlighted here also remind us that whether through individual families or social insurance, through family caregivers or paid help, the oldest generation will continue to depend on adults of working age for its well-being. This book was previously published as a special issue of Feminist Economics.

Public discussion of population aging usually focuses on the financial burden that increasingly elderly populations will impose on younger generations. Scholars give much less attention to who does the actual work of day-to-day care for those no longer able to care for themselves; and although women are the majority among the elderly, little is heard about gender differences in economic resources or the need for care. This volume is dedicated to giving gender -and a full range of social and cultural differences-their rightful place in these discussions. The authors in the following pages address, among other issues:
* the worldwide dilemmas of eldercare
* the structure of income and care provisions for older populations
* the role of family, marital status, and class in these provisions
* the impact of polices affecting retirement age
* and the role of social insurance in preventing poverty among elderly women
The essays included address these topics in a myriad of geographical contexts, including South Africa, the US, Palestine, Australia, South Korea, Spain, Germany, and Sweden. The concerns highlighted here also remind us that whether through individual families or social insurance, through family caregivers or paid help, the oldest generation will continue to depend on adults of working age for its well-being. This book was previously published as a special issue of Feminist Economics.