Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on a particular aspect of equity in evaluation. It proposes a multilevel evaluation framework to address gender disparities within micro, meso, and macro domains. The book investigates equity and equality in the context of gender and development work. It discusses the need for evaluations to play a role in scaling up development experiences and to address "system transformation". The book looks deeply into evaluation approaches that aim to both deliver at scale for the poorest and simultaneously empower the poorest themselves to address the causes of inequalities in power, wealth, and influence. It examines different geographic, socioeconomic, and psychosocial definitions of vulnerability in relation to climate change, understood as a gradual increase in the average global air and ocean temperatures and rising sea levels.