DEAR FORUM READER,
The dramatic insurgence of Covid 19 determined or brought out a variety of crises. These include: recession, unemployment and unequal distribution; rising debt and financial instability; domestic emergencies and lack of international cooperation; inadequate health and welfare policies; the link between zoonotic viruses and environmentally careless business; shutdowns and feminicides; working conditions and output, and; globalization of business and well-being. The Forum is eager to receive articles that deal with these topics, and other topics not listed here, in relation to Covid 19.
This issue begins with a set of papers that deal with women in developing countries. The first paper, by Tariang and Thomas, investigates poverty and inequality in Meghalaya (India). It studies the economic conditions of female-headed and male-headed households, over a period of time. Despite the peculiarities of the matrilineal customs of the region, the data the authors provide stresses that female-headed households tend to be subject to a poverty trap more than male-headed ones.
The second paper, by Owoo, Lambon-Quayefio and Onuoha, studies a major issue in poverty reduction in developing countries: women’s empowerment. In particular they focus on how Ghanaian women’s employment and income affect their control of reproductive health. Their analysis also includes the economic and educational features of husbands/partners, the women’s age and the age of their first marriage.
The age of first marriage is the specific topic of the paper by Wodon, Malé and Onagoruwa. They point out that, in developing countries, early childbirths are often due to child marriage. The dramatic social and strictly economic relevance of this issue is generally acknowledged, to the point that it is a target of the Sustainable Development Goals. Assessing its quantitative importance remains an open issue, however. This is what the authors set out to do, by providing a simple approach that may allow a more focused action.
The second set of papers begins with an article by Ojong and Simbab that investigates the variety of possible trust building mechanisms in micro-lending groups. The inquiry, which is centered on Cameroon, stresses the distinct features of feminine versus masculine societies and collectivist-rural versus individualistic-urban contexts. A major implication this approach leads to is its suggestion to “avoid inappropriate transfer of so-called ‘best practices.’”.
The paper by Tisdell and Svizzero provides a theoretical account for the development of agrarian societies and their ability to achieve economic growth. The paper has a broad historical breath and is part of a general discussion on what may be briefly termed as the avoidance of the Malthusian trap. It is also interesting from a strictly developmental perspective because of its emphasis on two issues. First, the multifarious nature of development, which ranges from the creation of infrastructure to the division of labor, all the way to the coordination of activities and social cohesion. Second, the features of the dominant class and its ability to extract and allocate economic surplus.
The final paper, by Sindzingre, looks at development from the perspective of three recent books. It discusses three different drivers of change: global financial governance, collective financial statecraft and the developmental state. While the three topics may appear almost independent of each other, the author situates them within a rich and documented discussion of the general context that followed the great financial crisis.
Enjoy the issue!
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