A roundtable discussion on decentralization, local development and women’s empowerment

Abstract

The experiences from Africa, Asia, Latin America and North America show how women at the local level have innovated existing tools, mechanisms and methodologies, to better address their needs and aspirations, often in the context of poverty and marginalization.  However, many issues remain open, including how to expand, consolidate and scale up their achievements at the local level so that they can influence processes and policies that are determined at national or international levels. Universitas Forum invited the members of the editorial board for this special issue of our journal – coming from the worlds of research, policy and practice – to reflect on some of these open questions, taking into account the experiences published here, through a round table discussion.