Increasing numbers of corporations are vying to capture one of the largest untapped consumer markets – the world's poor – in ways that are not only economically profitable but socially responsible. One type of initiative that has gained increased traction is trading partnerships between...

Avon's apparent success in using entrepreneurship to help women escape poverty, as well as its staying power in circumstances where similar efforts have failed, has captured the attention of the international development community. This study, the first independent empirical investigation,...

The education of girls is a primary focus of development efforts in poor countries because female achievement, especially at the secondary level, is believed to have long-lasting and far-reaching economic effects. Complex multiple factors work against girls’ education in developing countries,...

In recent years bottom-of-the-pyramid (BoP) models have emerged as a popular strategy for offering poor women the opportunity to earn an income by distributing goods and services door-to-door. In this article, we explore one recent example of BoP entrepreneurship: the CARE Bangladesh Rural Sales...

Despite notable progress in girls' education over the last decade, gender-based differences continue to shape educational outcomes. One of the most overlooked of these differences is the process of maturation itself, including menstruation. This paper presents the findings of a study that...

Background Increased education of girls in developing contexts is associated with a number of important positive health, social, and economic outcomes for a community. The event of menarche tends to coincide with girls' transitions from primary to secondary education and may constitute a barrier...