Score contribution per author:
α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count
Recent years saw the outpouring of a theoretical and empirical literature, exploring the nexus between gender and poverty in developing countries. This paper, which provides a critical review of the literature, examines the conceptual basis for a gender-focused approach to poverty alleviation; reviews the relevant empirical studies and data, drawn principally, but not exclusively, from Asian developing countries; and explores the role of public policies to redress gender disparity. The present review argues that the conceptual basis for many gender-focused policies is far from well-established. The empirical foundations of many conventional wisdoms as well as of popular policies remain fragile due to the dearth of reliable gender-segregated data and rigorous empirical studies. The paper underscores the need for more careful empirical analyses as an input to formulating sound public policy with regard to gender and poverty. Copyright 1995 by Blackwell Publishers Ltd