Bibliography

Through both organising evidence and giving voice to low income community issues, Civil Society Organisations raise the visibility of the health conditions of poor communities. This study documents CSO roles in organising evidence and making input to state planning. This discussion is more specifically developed in relation to the health of poor women. Women’s poverty is described within a complex web of persistent inequalities that are traced back to social, cultural, economic and political structures. These are noted to erode women’s well-being by restricting their capacity to attain positive health and educational outcomes, secure income and employment, and participate in decision-making within the home and in larger social spheres. In relation to gender equity, the paper reports ways in which CSOs strengthen processes by which women act to promote change for themselves and catalyse broader social transformation.