Religion and Gender in the Developing World

Faith-based development organizations have become a central part of the lives of the women of rural Rajasthan, and have come to represent an important aspect of both individual and collective identities. And yet, religious teachings continue to be used to exclude women from public decision making forums and render them vulnerable to increasing levels of domestic violence. In a unique multi-disciplinary approach, combining a range of subjects, particularly gender studies, Bradley provides a unique study of the contradictory and complex role of development organisations and faith organizations in the lives of women in rural Rajasthan. This book will be of interest to students, reseachers and policy makers involved in various fields, including those of Development Studies, Religion, Gender Studies and Social Anthropology.This volume through its focus on gender fills an obvious gap in the burgeoning literature on religion and international development. Here, Tamsin Bradley combines new ethnographic research with an innovative interdisciplinary approach to the study of how religion and development inter- relate. She explores the operation of various faith-based and secular organizations, critically reflecting on the extent to which they engage with the cultural and religious lives of those they seek to help. This volume will make a significant contribution to the work of many scholars from a wide range of disciplines. - Professor Jeffery Haynes, Associate Head of Research and Postgraduate Studies, Faculty of Law, Governance and International Relations, London Metropolitan University