Women experience disadvantage and oppression differentially, based on their status, context and location.

In 1991, an article on the Maternity Care Program in Matlab, Bangladesh, reported a substantial decline in direct obstetric deaths in the intervention area, but not in the control area. The decline was attributed primarily to the posting of midwives at the village level.

Although female labour force participation is a growth driver, participation rates suggest a country’s potential for faster growth.