Recent years have seen an increasing importance given to
the development of women. To make development more
meaningful, inclusive growth is needed that encourages
women's participation in various spheres of life.
In many parts of the world, women's status is significantly
despondent. Further, the millennium development goals have
been hindered by extensive gender inequality.
Several Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including
eliminating poverty, reducing infant mortality, achieving
universal education, and eliminating the gender gap in
education by 2015, have been argued as prerequisites to
achieving gender equality, according to Kofi Annan, UN
Secretary General (United Nations, 2005). The World Bank
(2001) recommends policy changes to address gender
inequality in "rights, resources, and voice" in its report,
"Engendering Development.
