Introduction: Shifting Perspectives on Development

Of the 5.3 billion people in the world, 4 billion live in the low and middle income economies. About 1.5 billion people still lack basic health care and more than 1 billion adults are illiterate. The gap between rich and poor countries in the world remains and in many cases has widened. An average person in Tanzania earns $140 compared to $37,930 in Switzerland. The debt and trade difficulties in Latin America and Africa have led to declining standards of living in the 1980s for much of the population in these areas, particularly women. In many countries, women are often the most vulnerable group. They face acute health problems, have much lower levels of literacy and lack access to basic resources as well as legal rights. Among women, only one out of two is literate in Asia and only one out of three in Sub‐Saharan Africa.