ABSTRACT
The introductory chapter positions this study within (a) recent political and economic developments in Malaysia and, (b) broader literatures within the field of International Political Economy (IPE) that have examined the concept of competitiveness from a variety of critical perspectives. The chapter sets out the case for taking ‘gender politics’ seriously in attempting to understand the nature and impact of policies of competitiveness promotion in Malaysia. It also provides a succinct overview of the arguments in this book and how they are developed through chapters 1–5.
