Like a Bollywood dance sequence, South Asia’s growth numbers tend to dazzle. It is the second-fastest-growing region in the world after East Asia. But behind the glamour lies a paradox. Despite…

Mabruk Kabir, Joe Qian |

The state of India’s school education does not paint a very pretty picture. No doubt a whopping 97% of all children between the ages of 6-14 years in rural India are enrolled in school. However,…

Garima Agarwal |

Arif Jafar had no choice about coming out as gay. In 2001, he was arrested in the northern Indian city of Lucknow at the AIDS prevention agency where he worked, charged with running a sex club,…

Elizabeth Howton |

Last week, I discussed the optimistic and pessimistic views of South Asia's development potential. As I highlighted in my book, Reshaping Tomorrow, South Asia is among the fastest growing…

Ejaz Ghani |

Five years ago, M. Revathy was a single mother abandoned by her husband, living in the small town of Tirunellikaval in Tamil Nadu. She is high school educated but was unable to find any employment…

Charukesi Ramadurai |

India’s estimated 700, 000 hijras, or transgender women, generally get little or no schooling, their families often reject them, and they join marginalized and feudal communities where their…

Fabrice Houdart |

South Asia is among the fastest growing regions in the world, but it is also home to the largest concentration of people living in conditions of debilitating poverty, human misery, gender…

Ejaz Ghani |

What is the account penetration among women in South Asia? Has the spread of bank agents affected how adults do their banking in Bangladesh and Nepal? How are people all over South Asia saving,…

Leora Klapper, Asli Demirgüç-Kunt |

Leveraging Technology and Partnerships to Promote Equity in South Asia Wednesday, April 18 at 9:00AMThe Next South Asia Regional Flagship on equity and development (March 2013) will feature an…

World Bank South Asia |

Dr. Suneeta Singh made that simple yet powerful statement during a panel discussion on “Empowering Gender Minorities in South Asia” on March 14, 2012 at the World Bank. Singh, a former Bank…

Elizabeth Howton |