Amanda Ellis – författare

Men and women both play significant, though different, economic roles in Uganda (both contribute around 50% of GDP and women are 39% of business owners). Gender inequality in access to and control of productive assets and resources acts as a brake to women's economic participation and limits economic growth. Labor and time constraints differentially affect women's and men's capacity to engage in business activity, with significant consequences for agricultural productivity in the context of strategic exports. It is therefore important for Uganda to unleash the full productive potential of female as well as male economic actors, if it is to achieve high and sustained rates of pro-poor growth. This book considers the relationship between gender and economic growth in Uganda in the specific context of promoting women's business and entrepreneurship. Building on the findings of the FIAS Uganda Administrative Barriers to Investment Report, 2003, Gender and Economic Growth in Uganda identifies specific legal and administrative barriers to investment that have a gender dimension.

Vanuatu is a traditional and largely patriarchal society; women have extremely low representation in Parliament and in other decision-making bodies. Despite this, women are increasingly involved in private sector development and in the market economy. Yet government support for women's economic empowerment and for businesswomen has been limited, and reforms are needed to the general legal framework to ensure gender equality. This groundbreaking book, ""Women in Vanuatu"", brings together data and available evidence on the subject and makes the case for actions needed to ensure gender equality. The authors argue that designing and implementing measures that benefit both women and men makes good economic sense and will ultimately strengthen all businesses in Vanuatu. ""Women in Vanuatu"" will be useful to both donors and nongovernmental organizations designing projects as well as researchers looking to further examine gender barriers in the country.

The East Asia and Pacific region as a whole has made substantial progress in improving economic opportunities for women, but significant intraregional differences and important challenges remain. Aspiring entrepreneurs continue to face regulatory, institutional, and cultural barriers to starting and operating businesses. These barriers, which harm the economic prospects of individual women, also ultimately impede poverty reduction and economic growth in the region's countries as a whole. Increasing participation in quantitative terms is not enough. Genuine equality requires that women enjoy the same opportunities as men - including opportunities to take entrepreneurial risks and be their own bosses. Researchers often find scant data on such barriers for women - including limited access to assets, business regulatory and governance issues, and obstructed avenues for expanding businesses and trading with larger markets. Economic Opportunities for Women in the East Asia and Pacific Region brings together the data for the first time and conducts a systematic analysis.The authors present recommendations and highlight entry points for policy changes that have the potential to engender private sector development by increasing economic opportunities for women in the region. The authors identify a hierarchy of constraints and suggest areas for reform that may be tailored to the needs of different countries. A more level economic playing field can unlock hidden growth potential. Bringing about greater economic equality will be a long-term process and will require changes in institutions and established ways of operating and doing business. It will also require changes in the subtle, cultural contexts in which women-led businesses operate.