This study provides a comparative case study on the role of the World Bank on post-conflict development. The selected cases are Ethiopia and Eritrea, that split after the war of independence in...Show moreThis study provides a comparative case study on the role of the World Bank on post-conflict development. The selected cases are Ethiopia and Eritrea, that split after the war of independence in 1993. This study researches the development paths of both countries, the approaches taken by the World Bank in both Ethiopia and Eritrea as well as in the international context, and the other development actors at play. In this study is revealed that the approaches of and the impact of the World Bank have been significantly influenced by other variables: domestic governance, international relations, and the global economy. These factors led to the fact that the impact of the World Bank has been marginalized in both countries.Show less
Community-based Eco-tourism (CBET) has been promoted as a model that can reconcile sustainable development and environmental conservation, and ultimately empower local populations. However, how...Show moreCommunity-based Eco-tourism (CBET) has been promoted as a model that can reconcile sustainable development and environmental conservation, and ultimately empower local populations. However, how this empowerment is achieved in particular among women is still largely debated given the gender norms in which these models are embedded. By focusing on Costa Rica as a case study, and drawing on an array of empirical evidence collated through desk research, this dissertation examines the role and participation of women in CBET initiatives; seeking to understand how women have been empowered through such models, and what the underlying factors that can promote or inhibit this. This study highlights that while the participation of women in CBET has been largely confined to the domestic spheres and underpinned by gender-defined activities, such opportunities are important in kick-starting and fomenting an initial process of empowerment that can be positively attributed to these schemes. Such changes are an initial stage of empowerment that can certainly ripple to other spheres and ultimately empower women.Show less
China’s exceptional growth, since the early 1980s, has been accompanied by a startling rise in gender-wage inequality. Gendered occupational segregation is identified as a primary cause, and has...Show moreChina’s exceptional growth, since the early 1980s, has been accompanied by a startling rise in gender-wage inequality. Gendered occupational segregation is identified as a primary cause, and has been a prominent feature of China’s economic transition and integration into the global economy. The channeling of women into low-skill, low-wage occupations is an often neglected factor in the story of China’s export-led economic growth and the development of its growing service industries. The purpose of this thesis is to establish how the revival of traditional gender norms in China has contributed to high levels of occupational gender-segregation and rising wage inequality. In particular this thesis focuses on changing constructions of gender as advanced by the state, through social policy and labour regulations, and in state media.Show less
