The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5 has revealed the undeniable truth that women’s empowerment remains a critical challenge, and that gender inequality is an essential building block to a fair and prosperous society. But what progress has been made? This edited collection offers a critical insight and evaluation of the public policies targeted at improving the condition of women living in developing countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America. 


Utilizing new and existing data, as well as theoretical and practical insights which bridge the academic and policymaking spaces, the authors frame an essential discussion about women's empowerment and public policy. Viewing SDG5 as an ethical and political responsibility, they point out the advances, scope and limitations of this ambitious goal endorsed by the international community. Each chapter contains a public policy recommendation so that readers are set to develop and act upon a key understanding of how to create change. Crucially, this volume showcases that in order to have better policies, it is necessary to evaluate achievements and failures, and understand how different strategies have had diverse impacts on women's wellbeing and empowerment.