The Concept of Feminism - Essay Example

Topic: Lecturer: Presentation: Introduction Feminist ideals aim at ensuring gender equality and are also concerned with the well-being of vulnerable groups such as the women, children and the elderly. Feminists are against economic policies advocated by neoclassical economists as they do not conform to the requirements for realization of social and economic rights (Balakrishnan & Elson, 2008). Neoclassical economists formulate policies aimed at maximizing benefits and minimising costs regardless of the effects on ordinary citizens and without regard to human rights. They stabilize the economy and assume redistribution of gains from winners to losers as compensation and not putting measures in place to ensure the redistribution (Elson, 2002). Feminist economists therefore have alternative policies that can be enforced to ensure all citizens enjoy their rights fully and to promote gender equality for example, by recognition of the role of women in development. These ideals are suitable but their realization may be constrained by inadequate theorisation of gender. Gender has great impact in structuring the principle of political economy (Fraser, 1997). It therefore plays a vital in translating feminist ideals for gender equality into public policy. This paper will examine the extent to which inadequate theorisation of gender contributes to failure to translate feminist ideals for gender equality into public policy. Feminist Ideals for Gender Equality Feminist ideals for gender equality are those social policies that promote well being of all regardless of age, sex, race or gender and lead to realization of social and economic rights. Feminists resist the undervaluation of unpaid care work in policy formulation. They feel that their work should be included in economic statistics so as to achieve same status as men whose jobs count. As Razavi & Hassim (2006) notes, it requires addressing the relationship between the state, market and private institutions such as families and communities. However, it’s the same families and communities that structure political economy and define gender roles and structure economic entitlements. These social institutions are biased as they deny women entitlements such as access to resources hence burdening women further and making it difficult to cope with caring duties unless the state intervenes in providing resources such as subsidized health services. This renders their work invaluable as no gains are achieved as women don’t have resources to carry out their work effectively and ensure human development. Feminists demand social protection programmes so as to cover the underprivileged or due to their lowly paid jobs. These programmes such as social security are provided for in paid jobs as part of the contract. If women are incorporated in paid jobs, they would enjoy the benefits as their male counterparts but due to gender theorization, there is division of gender roles where women are to take up caring and domestic work while males take up paid jobs. The social security benefits are thus received by men who are perceived to be bread winners (Staveren, 2008). Social sector reforms lead to privatization of public social services such as education and health thereby charging fees for the services which are then compensated by state in terms of social health insurance. However, this scheme is for the employed and hence does not cater for the sector that is much affected of those women giving care to families due to nature of their gender hence leading to failure of translating the ideal into policy (Razavi & Hassim, 2006). Feminists demand to be given equal jobs as males and paid same wages. This requires skills and certain attributes. For example, construction work requires a lot of strength to lift materials and industrial work requires skills. On the other hand, gender theorization tends to present women as weak and not powerful as men due to nature. Gender roles are defined and women are supposed to take up caring jobs or affective labour due to their affects (Hardt, 1999). They claim that domestic labour is undervalued and lowly paid hence unjust and therefore engage in paid jobs but due to the roles gender has entrusted them of care taking, they are forced to employ domestic servants. This according to Tronto (2002) is questionable as they carry out the injustices they claim to defend women from. This furthers gender inequalities as women have to work and care for the family while men concentrate on their work. The success of women in accomplishing this goal is also hindered by time, gender and work ideologies (Epstein, 2006). Women taking up male jobs are met with social disapproval and it is these social constructs that structure political economy. This is due to gender division of labour which creates identity conflicts. These women are considered as bad mothers as they leave children without good care. Feminists advocate for good standard of living for all. This requires availability of resources, income, access to education and healthcare, clean water and sanitation as well as entitlements such as property ownership and inheritance. Sen (2003) argues that education is the primary principle means of attaining sustainable freedoms. He further argues that these capabilities depend on the power individuals have. As society dictates or gender is theorized, men have more power than women and are property owners hence the resource owners. Gender labour division also confines women into lowly paid jobs hence inadequate income. In poor families, girls are discriminated in education provision as boys are given first priority. The states only cater for free primary education thereby commercializing secondary education making it unaffordable (Balakrishnan & Elson, 2008). If the society gave women properties and inheritance they would have power to ensure standards of living are maintained. Feminists advocate for women to be involved in decision making and policy formulation so that their rights can be protected when drawing policies. Women therefore fight for places in parliament and managerial posts so as to attain equality with male counterparts. More women are being elected to parliament and some seats reserved for them so as to practice their democratic rights. However, most females are undermined as they are considered less powerful than men and irrational and besides their feminine nature does not allow them to be leaders. This is because men are considered masculine and yield more power hence are supposed to govern whereas women are soft hearted and hence are supposed to be in public relations and social services (Epstein, 2006). Gender theorization thus limits women from engaging in politics. Neoclassical economists apply expansionary measures to stabilize the economy and as a requirement by IMF and World bank as conditionality for debt repayment. This involves cutting government expenditure on essential services. Taxation measures are also applied to control demand and supply and inflation targeting to control monetary supply. These affect the women jobs as they depend on public service and essential services become more expensive putting heavy burden on women. Globalization leads women to migrate and look for better prospects to enable them care for their families and most find jobs in care taking jobs. The policies of those countries differ with ones country of origin due to culture and these women are paid lowly as the work is considered natural due to their nature (Folbre, 2000). Conclusion Feminist ideals are aimed at achieving equality between men and women and remove gender stereotyping and formulate social policies to be incorporated in public policy for enactment. However, these ideals are constrained by inadequate theorization of gender which makes it difficult to translate the ideologies. Women are discriminated in various aspects such as; lack of paid work, resources, education and standard of living. Macroeconomic policies also contribute to gender inequality as they render women jobless and overburden them with caring duties. Women are not given the right to own or inherit property and hence their capabilities are limited denying them the right to enjoy their rights. References Balakrishnan, R. and Elson, D. (2008) Auditing Economic Policy in the Light of Obligations on Economic and Social Rights”. Human Rights Review, 5(1): 1-19. Elson, D. (2002) Gender Justice, Human Rights and Neo-Liberal Policies, in M. Molyneux and S. Razavi, Gender Justice, Development and Rights, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Epstein, C. (2006) ‘Border Crossings: The Constraints of Time Norms in Transgressions of Gender and Professional Roles’, in Epstein, C and Kalleberg, A. (eds), Fighting for Time. Shifting boundaries of work and social Life, New York: Russell Sage Foundation. Folbre, N. and Nelson, J. (2000) ‘For Love or Money – or Both?’. Journal of Economic Perspectives 14 (4):123-140. Fraser, N. (1997) Justice Interruptus: Critical Reflections on the "Postsocialist" Condition. London: Routledge. Hardt, M. (1999) “Affective Labor”. Boundary 2, 26 (2):89-100. Sen, A. (2003) “Continuing the Conversation”. Feminist Economics, 9(2– 3): 319 – 332. Staveren, van I. (2008) “The Gender Bias of The Poverty Reduction Strategy Framework”. Review of International Political Economy, 15 (2): 289-313. Tronto, J (2002) The “Nanny” Question in Feminism, Hypatia 17 (2):34-51. Razavi, S and Hassim, S. (2006) Gender and Social Policy in a Global Context: Uncovering the Gendered Structure of “the Social”. Basinstoke: Palgrave/ UNRISD. Read More