Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book draws attention to the fact that the interests of poor and middle- and upper-class women differ. It provides an account of the historical transformation of contemporary North Africa by drawing on the limited documentation of women's experiences in this process. The book also draws attention to how culture interacts with ecology and political and economic forces to shape women's experiences and create heterogeneity. Women and international development grew out of the recognition that the development process has different effects on women and men and that the effect is more negative for women than for men. Few grassroots organizations have been established in which poor women can articulate their concerns, and these women are not drawn into formal politics.