A review essay on books that address the importance of investing in women’s education to improve economic and social conditions in the impoverished global South. Mak addresses the relationships between the nation-state, women, education, and development in Asia. The persistent structures of female subordination in the nation and the family are identified, indicating that, functionally, it is women’s cheap labor and not female education that has contributed to the economic improvements in the region. The work is criticized for the lack of a conclusion that would tie the preceding chapters together. Jeffery and Basu discuss the relationship between female schooling and changes in female autonomy, specifically relating to changes in fertility rates. Several case studies from South Asia reveal that this is a complex, nonlinear relationship that is very context specific. It is concluded that, while both of these works make important contributions to the literature, neither reveals the daily practices that convert education into social practice, allowing women to become agents of development.
