BOOK REVIEWS : Women, Work, and Economic Growth: Leveling the Playing Field, Editors: Kalpana Kochhar, Sonali Jain-Chandra and Monique Newiak, Publishers: International Monetary Fund, 2017

The book under review is edited by Kalpana Kochhar, Sonali Jain-Chandra and Monique Newiak. It consists of 4 parts: Part 1 is the introduction where gender inequality around the world is emphasized by all the three editors. Part 2 discusses the macro-economic gains from equity. Part 3 highlights as to how the gender inequality around the globe is tackled. It covers Asia, Europe, Middle East, Sub Saharan Africa and the Western Hampshire. Fourth and the final part of the book points out and identify the policies to level the play field.

Foreword of the book is written by Christine Lagarde, Managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF); she felt the need of gender equity around the globe. In hired jobs, women are not paid as much as their counterparts are paid in most of the countries. The phenomenon is of great concern among the economists and is becoming a challenge now. She stressed the need of equity, morally as well as economically. She also strongly feels the need to invest on girls’ education in rural areas; though it has already been started in places where infrastructure has improved. Equal terms are the need of time to eliminate discrimination among male and female child and, men and women. In the world population share of women it is estimated a little over 50 per cent, but women contribution in economic activity is measured below the total potential, which is, underutilized. This book under review combines the research of IMF economists related to gender issues. The authors peek very closely into the various issues of the gender gap from an economic perspective, in addition to provide the case studies of member countries to provide/identify the policy descriptions.