Business Cooperatives, Agricultural Produce - Meat & Dairy, Economic Conditions in Asia, Food, Beverage & Tobacco Industries - Meat & Dairy, Poverty

Poverty, Gender and Human Development

Name: Poverty, Gender and Human Development
Author: A.H. Somjee
ISBN: 9780973397888

by A.H. Somjee, Geeta Somjee

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Overview

This book advocates a context-effective approach to development that can ensure, or allow, significant changes toward economic growth and social justice. Not all developing countries are able to attract foreign investment or technical assistance; and those that do, do not necessarily develop as intended because of various corporate profit, geopolitical, or humanitarian considerations. Often, extraneous policy goals or approaches disrupt the balance of development. If poverty, gender-distance, and the lack of human development are the major concerns, then context-effective approaches, with pragmatic policies, can make a significant contribution to solving these problems. Even poor countries have some natural and human resources that can be harnessed effectively to create more resources to address their development needs. This book reports on such an attempt launched by the milk cooperatives of India. These cooperatives turned India into the largest milk producing country in the world. The movement touched the lives of nearly 60 million poor and supplemented their income, empowered women without creating crises in their family life, and brought about the development of a huge underclass through their participation in grassroots institutions.

Synopsis

The authors (both affiliated with Simon Fraser U., Canada) describe growth of the milk producer cooperatives of the Indian state of Gujarat as an exemplary alternative to standard economic and human development programs. They argue that the "context-effective," grassroots, and democratic example of the milk cooperatives has helped alleviate poverty, empower women and narrow Gujarat's gender gap, and increase the participatory opportunities available to the marginalized. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR