This book provides a fascinating analysis of how poor women in South Asia are tackling the gender and equity issue primarily using their own creativity, knowledge system, organizations and local resources and the relevance of this experience for Africa and Latin America. This book unearths a wealth of new data which documents various grassroots experiments enabling poor women to move out of poverty to sustainable development, and also highlights the role of sensitive support systems provided by some non-governmental organisations, banks, government agencies and donors.