The Central Asian republics represent the poorest area of the former Soviet Union and this book contains the first rigorous analysis of household living standards in the region. Part I deals with methodological issues of measuring household welfare in transition, Part II quantifies living standards in various ways, and Part III looks at support given by the state, firms, other households and NGOs - the 'mixed economy' of welfare provision. The book is characterised by analysis of newly available survey data.

The Central Asian republics represent the poorest area of the former Soviet Union and this book contains the first rigorous analysis of household living standards in the region. Part I deals with methodological issues of measuring household welfare in transition, Part II quantifies living standards in various ways, and Part III looks at support given by the state, firms, other households and NGOs - the 'mixed economy' of welfare provision. The book is characterised by analysis of newly available survey data.

Despite recent advances in important aspects of the lives of girls and women, pervasive challenges remain. These challenges reflect widespread deprivations and constraints and include epidemic levels of gender-based violence and discriminatory laws and norms that prevent women from owning property, being educated, and making meaningful decisions about their own lives such as whether and when to marry or have children. These often violate their most basic rights and are magnified and multiplied by poverty and lack of education. This groundbreaking book distills vast data and hundreds of studies to shed new light on deprivations and constraints facing the voice and agency of women and girls worldwide, and on the associated costs for individuals, families, communities, and global development. The volume presents major new findings about the patterns of constraints and overlapping deprivations and focuses on several areas key to women s empowerment: freedom from violence, sexual and reproductive health and rights, ownership of land and housing, and voice and collective action. It highlights promising reforms and interventions from around the world and lays out an urgent agenda for governments, civil society, development agencies, and other stakeholders, including a call for greater investment in data and knowledge to benchmark progress."

'A Sourcebook for Poverty Reduction Strategies' is a guide intended to help low-income countries with the development and strengthening of their poverty reduction strategies. This book has been designed as a resource for analysis and discourse on poverty reduction policies and programs at the country level. Each chapter adopts a layered approach, with a short summary providing overall assistance on issues, a detailed guide providing approaches to analysis and policy development along with supporting materials including country case studies, technical notes, and recommendations for further reading. 'A Sourcebook for Poverty Reduction Strategies' is organized into two volumes. 'Volume One' focuses on Core Techniques including poverty measurement and analysis, and monitoring and evaluation. Cross-Cutting Issues, such as participation, governance, and gender, are also discussed in 'Volume One'. 'Volume Two' concentrates on Macroeconomic and Sectoral Approaches.