Third, the nature of gender inequalities varies from region to region and country to country. For example, in most middle-income countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, gender disparities in primary school enrollments are very small and, in some cases, favor girls over boys. However, issues such as ownership of land by poor women, gender inequalities in labor markets, returns to education, and gender violence remain important. In the transition countries of Eastern Europe, gender issues arise largely from the patterns associ- ated with the transition. Among men, this includes problems of health, alcoholism, violence, and increased mortality risks. Among women, the key issues include marked increases in poverty.
