Moving Out of Poverty ─ An Inquiry into the Inclusive Growth in Asia

The words of US President John F. Kennedy, "the rising tide lifts all boats," mean inclusive growth in contemporary Asia, where the poor are able to participate in and benefit from economic growth.Moving Out of Poverty explores three channels through which economic growth confers gains to the poor and improves the status of women. The first channel is creation of productive employment as labor is typically the most abundant asset of the poor. Economic growth has created jobs in labor-intensive sectors such as agriculture, informal service sector, construction, transport, and low-skilled manufacturing. The second is investment in schooling, which coupled with the emergence of opportunities to earn income, has lifted women’s status in the society. The third is increased availability of improved infrastructure that has a direct impact on increasing household income from wage work and self-employment activities.

This book will be of great value to development economists, students and researchers interested in rural economies in Asia, and policymakers engaged in poverty reduction.

Jonna P. Estudillo is Professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo, Japan.

Keijiro Otsuka is Senior Professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo, Japan.