Comment

They don’t Count

In media women as heads of companies and governments exist, but the common woman is not found anywhere. Trade globalisation is heavily biased against women. In truth media people are missing half the story if they do not focus on the gender dimensions of the isues of economy, environment and development policies. Debt-ridden farmers are not newsworthy unless they commit suicide. The image of a woman farmer does not come easily. And women in India suffer more under the weight of growing trade liberalisation.

Indian women face a number of challenges everyday as workers, care givers, food providers, healthcare seekers. In a country like India, where economic, social and gender inequalities persist historically, and where trade policies are not "'gender neutral" the impact of trade policy on women deserves serious attention.

Unfortunately, for economists, women's work remains invisible, especially in the agriculture sector. Likewise discourses on land reforms do not talk of women at all. Despite being actively involved in producing food, a very high percentage of women remain anaemic. Has anybody ever pondered as to why the same kitchen produces malnourished women and healthy men?

The gender dimensions of international trade and finance policies in relation to the new opportunities, expectations and responsibilities which are beckoning women are simply ignored in any economic discourse. Women's ownership of physical and financial assets is limited and employment in large sectors has low proportion of women while small sectors have higher numbers.

Investment liberalisation has created an impact on gender dynamics in sub- sectors like banking, health, construction, and information technology in terms of both employment and access. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in construction sector has involved more mechanisation resulting in displacement of women workers before their male counterparts, with growing commercialisation, the access and control over traditional knowledge systems (like in medicine and food) especially by women gets threatened. The new trade policies related to the pharmaceutical sector threaten the growth of generic medicine industry and hence the supply of affordable medicines to disadvantaged sections, including women who would rather choose to spend on the healthcare of their husband/child than their own due to financial constraints.

"The global crisis has resulted in a real wage decline in all women related activities. In India, export oriented growth has relied more and more on women's work in the informal activities and unpaid work in social reproduction. To generate exports with better material conditions for those who produce them, we need not just better wages but also social protection measures." [contributed]

Frontier
Vol. 45, No. 19, Nov 18-24, 2012

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