Contents -- Preface and Acknowledgments -- Foreword -- Abbreviations -- Overview -- Introduction -- Doing Business in Vanuatu -- Women in Business in Vanuatu -- Notes -- Women in Business in Vanuatu-Promoting Women's Economic Empowerment -- Chapter 1 Doing Business in Vanuatu: The Cultural, Political, Economic, and Legal Contexts for Women's Economic Empowerment -- Cultural Context -- Political Context -- Economic Context -- Legal Context -- Recommendations -- Notes -- Chapter 2 Starting and Licensing a Business -- Starting a Business in Vanuatu Is Costly and Time Consuming by International Standards -- Cooperatives: An Alternative Business Form -- The Business Names Registration Regime -- The Business Licensing Regime -- Recommendations -- Note -- Chapter 3 Registering Property -- Land Tenure in Vanuatu -- Women and Land Ownership -- Recommendations -- Notes -- Chapter 4 Getting Credit -- Access to Credit Has Been a Key Constraint for Businesses in Vanuatu -- Women Have Some Access to Microfinance -- Sources of Commercial Finance -- Recommendations -- Notes -- Chapter 5 Enforcing Contracts -- Women and the Traditional Justice System -- Recommendation -- Chapter 6 Employing Workers -- Women in the Formal Economy -- Benefits for Women in the Formal Economy -- Strengthening Employment Rights -- Recommendation -- Notes -- Chapter 7 Trading across Borders -- Vanuatu's Trade Profile -- Vanuatu's Participation in Trade Liberalization -- Addressing Trade Challenges -- Recommendations -- Notes -- Appendix Summary of Focus Group Discussions with Female Entrepreneurs in Vanuatu -- References -- Index -- Boxes -- 1.1 Variations in the Traditional Role of Women in Vanuatu Society -- 1.2 Restricted Leadership Roles for Women on Ambae Island, Penama Province -- 1.3 Vanuatu's Constitution and Custom Law -- 1.4 Constitutional Provisions on Gender Equality.

1.5 Relationship between Formal Law and Kastom -- 2.1 Company Formation Process in Vanuatu -- 2.2 Key Elements of Regulation of Cooperatives in Vanuatu -- 2.3 Adverse Effects of Licensing on Women -- 3.1 Basic Legal Framework Governing Land Ownership in Vanuatu -- 3.2 Women's Rights over Land under Custom Law -- 4.1 Microfinance and Small-scale Lending in Vanuatu: VANWODS -- 6.1 Maternity and Child Care Provisions in Vanuatu -- 7.1 Case Study: Ecotourism on Tanna Island -- 7.2 Women's Businesses Benefiting from Tourism: Lapita Café -- 7.3 Developing Fair Trade Handicrafts Markets -- Figures -- 1 Greater Ease of Doing Business, More Women Entrepreneurs and Workers -- 2 Poverty and Gender Equality -- 3 Doing Business Rankings-Vanuatu and Comparator Economies -- 1.1 Sectoral Shares of GDP, 2005 -- 2.1 Starting a Business-Rankings for Vanuatu and Comparator Economies -- 3.1 Registering Property-Vanuatu and Comparative Economies -- 4.1 Getting Credit-Vanuatu and Comparator Economies -- 5.1 Enforcing Contracts-Vanuatu and Comparator Economies -- 5.2 Formal Legal Jurisdiction over Civil Disputes -- 6.1 Employing Workers-Vanuatu and Comparator Economies -- 6.2 Participation in the Informal Sector by Industry and Gender, 2000 -- 6.3 Poor People in the Workplace: Type of Work -- 7.1 Percentage Increase in Passenger Traffic in the Year Following Entry of New Airlines -- Map -- 1 Vanuatu -- Tables -- 1 Vanuatu-Ranking in the Doing Business Index -- 2 Women in Business in Vanuatu-Promoting Women's Economic Empowerment -- 1.1 2000 Labor Market Survey by Type of Occupation and Sex, 2000 -- 1.2 Economically Active Population by Employment Status and Gender, 1999 -- 1.3 Trends in Secondary School Enrollments, 1996-2006 -- 2.1 Starting a Business-Benchmarking in the Doing Business Index -- 2.2 Routes to Starting a Business in Vanuatu -- 2.3 Shefa Business License Fees.

3.1 Registering Property-Comparative Rankings -- 4.1 Getting Credit-Benchmarking in the Doing Business Index -- 5.1 Enforcing Contracts-Comparative Rankings -- 6.1 Employing Workers-Comparative Rankings -- 7.1 Trading across Borders-Comparative Rankings -- 7.2 Current Account Balance, 2005-07.