Population

Son preference in India is a well-documented phenomenon. Its implications for skewed sex ratios, female feticide and higher child mortality rates for girls have drawn research and policy attention. But what is less known are the underlying determinants of son preference and its implications for living girls.

This brief highlights findings from ICRW research that seeks to understand what the culture of son preference means for the health and care of living girls, how strong the ideology of son preference is in India and what factors exacerbate or diminish its strength. Among the findings, women's education is the single most significant factor in reducing son preference while wealth and economic development do not reduce son preference.

ICRW and Engender Health conducted a comprehensive evaluation on the impact of a participatory program on youth reproductive health in developing country settings. This report outlines the methodology, design and conclusions of the evaluation.

Women, Population and the Environment: Markets, Institutions and the Importance of Women's Economic Roles  argues that, while a reproductive rights approach to population planning can be an important component of environmental protection strategies, more attention must be paid to the relatively neglected role of market and policy failures that affect women as agriculturalists, economic actors and consumers of natural resources.

For over thirty years, ICRW has examined the role of women in increasing agricultural production and sustainably managing natural resources. These historic publications present ICRW’s groundbreaking research and analysis in examining the role of women as economic agents of change in agriculture systems.

See other historical agriculture publications:
Gender in Community Development and Resource Management
Bridging the Gender Gap in Agricultural Extension
Women, Land and Sustainable Development
Women in Agriculture: What Development Can Do

Download Women, Population and the Environment: Markets, Institutions and the Importance of Women's Economic Roles:

This report details the two-year innovation phase of ISOFI (Inner Spaces, Outer Faces Initiative), a project focusing on gender and sexuality as important factors that influence reproductive health outcomes. The report discusses the methods used by the ISOFI project to mainstream gender and sexuality into sexual and reproductive health work, including HIV/AIDS, of CARE in sites in India and Vietnam. It also offers analysis of evaluation data to illuminate the successes and challenges of the project.

Case studies have suggested that the liberalization of trade has had both positive and negative effects on women's health. This brief summarizes the direct and indirect pathways through which trade liberalization affects women's health. By understanding these pathways, advocates for reproductive health and rights will be better equipped to find those points of entry that best protect the positive and reverse the negative aspects of trade liberalization.