Gender, livelihood capabilities and women's economic empowerment: Reviewing evidence over the life course

This paper reviews the evaluation literature on policies and programmes designed to promote women’s livelihood capabilities across the life course to elicit lessons for the agenda of women’s economic empowerment. It aims to answer this key question: what capabilities need to be prioritised to help girls make a successful transition to an independent and fulfilled adult life? In particular, the paper discusses the role(s) of discriminatory gender norms in impacting adolescent girls' capabilities and the implications for gender equality and economic empowerment.