The feminization of modernity

"In 1986, Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) put into effect its 'New Economic Mechanism' (NAM) in its bid for modernization and development. With this national policy came the come the conversion of a predominantly agricultural and subsistance-based economy into one focused on commodity-driven production. The country's integration into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its signing of the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) made official its integration into the regional and international economy. The once state-planned, socialist economiy was restructured into an open, liberlized one. One sector that has experienced marked growth is manufacturing, specifically the garment industry. Domestic and foreign-owned garment factories established beginning in the early 1990s now have Laos exporting 80% of its garment products to European Union (EU) nations"--back cover.