This Bulletin brings together a range of contributions analysing the interaction between gender and poverty from different disciplinary perspectives. Given the relevance of cultural context in defining the meaning of both gender and poverty, empirical case studies from different parts of the world are used to explore local constructions of the inter-relationship in order to move beyond the global generalisations which continue to dominate policy discussions. Contributions also reflect on the 'gender sub-texts' of the various official and grassroots discourses on poverty and on the political sub-texts of their discourses on gender and poverty. Who is defining these different agendas and whose reality really does count?