About the Book
The Asia-Pacific region shows great inter-regional and intra-regional divergence in gender equity. Most countries of Asia and the Pacific do recognize equality between men and women as a matter of fundamental right and citizenship. Despite these formal and legal commitments, and the demonstrated benefits of gender equality to societies and economies, gender discrimination remains pervasive in the region.
This book represents the emerging trends in inter-disciplinary research spanning nations and regions in the Asia-Pacific with the aim of achieving a regional theoretical perspective and a more balanced picture of the root causes of gender inequity in the region. The major theme explored in the book is that of gender dimension of development in the Asia-Pacific. It includes case studies from this region reflecting changing policy paradigms and their impact on gender equity in the region, and revisiting the local and regional gender discourse heritage. It represents a cross section of current trends in gender research by serious scholars from India and abroad. Both important aspects of contemporary gender research, the collection of empirical evidences and incisive analysis of ground realities are addressed. Emerging issues of queer theory and transgender equity are also presented. The diversity of issues analysed helps in presenting a comprehensive and interesting cross-sectional picture of the contemporary gender equity scenario in the Asia-Pacific region.
Contributors
Kalpana Agrahari
Chhavi Arya
Poonam Bawa
Rashi Bhargava
Ila Bisht
Petr Blizkovsky
Caroline Brassard
Anup Shekhar Chakraborty
Ram Chandra
Ola Gamil Mahmoud El-Taliawi
Aruna Gyati
Harumi Hosono
Jyoti Joshi
Suzaina Kadir
Padam Nepal
Lata Pande
Chompoonuh Kosalakorn Permpoonwiwat
Triranjan Raj
Priyanka Neeraj Ruwali
Reetesh Sah
Kittikorn Sankatiprapa
Vandana Saxena
Bui Thi Minh Tam
Hiromi Tanaka
Lalit P. Tirkey
Ikushi Yamaguchi
Contents
Part I : Theorizing Gender Equity
1. Is Development Aid Improving the Gender Situation in Asia? / Petr Blizkovsky
2. The Role and Limitations of Public Policy in Ensuring Gender Equity / Suzaina Kadir, Caroline Brassard and Ola Gamil Mahmoud El-Taliawi
3. Discourse on Differentiated Rights / Triranjan Raj
4. Methodological, Pedagogical Contestations and Complications in Gender Studies / Anup Shekhar Chakraborty
5. Engendering Governance / Aruna Gyati and Kalpana Agrahari
Part II: The Equity Seenario in the Asia-Pacific
6. Trade Liberalization and Gender Wage Inequality in Thailand / Bui Thi Minh Tam and Chompoonuh K. Permpoonwiwat
7. Women’s Political Ambition, Candidacy and Political Participation in Japan / Hiromi Tanaka
8. Women and Expression in Japanese Society / Harumi Hosono
9. Cultural Myths and the Reduction of Human Potential in Development / Kittikorn Sankatiprapa
10. Gender Issues in the Organizational Attitudes and Behaviour of Japanese Care Workers / Ikushi Yamaguchi
11. New Initiatives in Building a Violence Free World for Women / Poonam Bawa and Ram Chandra
12. Gender, Governance of Commons and Livelihood Security / Padam Nepal and Lalit P. Tirkey
13. Lucknow to Nagaland via Delhi / Rashi Bhargava
Part III: Empirical Evidence of the Equity Scenario
14. Women and Water / Reetesh Sah
15. Assessment of Nutritional Status of Girls in Government Primary Schools in India / Chhavi Arya and Lata Pande
16. Gender Equality and Health / Ila Bisht and Jyoti Joshi
17. Contemporary Health Policies in India / Priyanka Neeraj Ruwali
18. Counteracting the Inertia to Balance Gender Equation in Science / Vandana Saxena
About the Author / Editor
Divya Upadhyaya Joshi is Associate Professor, University Grants Commission–Human Resource Development Centre, Kumaun University. As a political scientist, she specializes in gender studies. Her research work has focused on gender and green governance issues in the Central Himalaya, and also on the complexities of gender and democratization in marginalized mountain communities. Recipient of national awards for some of her research work, she was also a member of national-level expert committee on gender violence set up by the National Commission for Women, Government of India.
Chompoonuh K. Permpoonwiwat is Associate Professor in Economics, School of Economics and Public Policy, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand. She got her Ph.D. degree from the University of Utah (Economics) in 2000 and her M.S. from the University of Utah (Economics), in 1996. Her special fields of interest in research are public economics, econometrics and the economics of gender. She has been Dean, Research at the School of Economics and Public Policy, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand. She has to her credit an impressive body of published research work and has presented her work at numerous international conferences and seminars.
