useable, within the limited time frame within which it may expect to be a 'contemporary
resource'. We have therefore placed severe limitations in respect of language,
periodisation and availability, again using arbitrary parameters for clear and practical
reasons.
The vast majority of items are in English, though where, on occasions, what we reckon
to be a key source is published in either French or Spanish, we have included them.
In general we have included only selected items published since 1975. The mid 1970s
saw the emergence of a significant body of literature on gender, especially in the USA
and then Europe, but it was in the 1980's that the connection with development
becomes more apparent, with a surge of activity in respect of gender issues in
developing countries.
The issue of availability, admittedly a relative concept, has also informed our selection
and inevitably reflects the target audience. While it is hoped that this bibliography will
be of interest to academics from a variety of disciplines it is, like the report from which
it has grown, also intended for a wider professional readership. Especially in mind are
those who are charged with the formation and operation of policy in respect of the issue
of gender in educational provision, and also those in the service of governments or
NGOs who work in this field. So most entries are published by well known companies
or institutions and should not be too difficult to trace. They range from books and
reports through journal articles and, occasionally, to pamphlets. We are aware that a
vast range of additional material has been produced during the two decades in question,
often by active groups within particular countries, but we have had to be deliberately
highly selective on grounds of wider accessibility. Consequently locally produced
publications in developing countries, probably numbered in the thousands in global
terms and of obvious significance in particular situations, have not in general been
included.
There are considerable differences in the amount of material available from zone to
zone and country to country. In some cases it has been necessary to cull severely, but
where few items appeared to be available selection has been less stringent. Some
countries have been omitted entirely because no easily accessible material appeared to
be available, although in such cases some significant documentation almost certainly
exists.
The selection of some publications for annotation has also been based on the same
range of criteria as described above in respect of the bibliographical list. It was thought
most useful to the reader to locate the annotations at the end of each regional grouping
rather than as a completely separate section of the publication, as many readers will
have region-specific interests. Here again, selection has been made largely on the issue