Edited by Gita Sen and Marina Durano, this 2014 edited volume by the Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN) network examines the interconnected economic, ecological, and political crises shaping the contemporary world from the perspective of women in the Global South. The publication explores how neoliberal restructuring, financialisation, and shifting global power relations have transformed the social contracts that emerged during the twentieth century, discussing feminist perspectives on the need to refound these arrangements in ways that centre equity, sustainability, and human rights.

Bringing together analyses from across DAWN’s research areas, the collection examines the implications of the global financial crisis, environmental degradation, and changing geopolitical dynamics for development and social justice. The text discusses debates on macroeconomic alternatives, including wage-led growth and capital controls, while critically examining market-based responses to climate change and their impacts on land, resources, and livelihoods. It also explores contemporary challenges to sexual and reproductive health and rights, the influence of conservative political actors in multilateral spaces, the gendered impacts of militarisation, and the role of emerging global powers in reshaping governance and accountability frameworks.