Gender Class and Structural Transformation - TWN …twnafrica.org/ITUC TWN Gender Class and...
Transcript of Gender Class and Structural Transformation - TWN …twnafrica.org/ITUC TWN Gender Class and...
Gender Class and Structural
Transformation
Akua O Britwum CEGRAD, University of Cape Coast And NETRIGHT-Ghana
ITUC-Africa – TWN Africa consultative workshop on employment, structural transformation and economic development in Africa
Outline
Gender and the development debate
Gender and production of class in Africa
Labour and the gender question
Union research agenda for gender transformation
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Gender Development Debate
Gender relations as a
…system of interrelated social structures and practices in which men dominate,
Explanations no longer tenable: Biology and personal characteristics that
women have or not: Matrilineal societies =/= matriarchy
Gender regimes structured around: Household production, paid work,
violence against women and sexuality
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Shift from economic growth to distributional equity RWG & BNA
CSW and WWCs
1970s to date Policies conventions, recommendations
UNWomen And national women machineries
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Gender and production of class in Africa
Pre-colonial
Subsistence farming, pastoralist, hunting, gathering, Mining, trading (local & international) (Hymer, 1970).
Contested: communal production or existence of hierarchical production relations and surplus value expropriation (Cohen, et al,
1978, p. 11)
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Subordination of labour to capitalist production through external force;
Disrupting pre-colonial production and introducing new forms labour: Maintaining the domestic as a base for reproduction of capitalist labour … the joining together of modes of production in such a way that the specific form adopted by each mode of production is a condition for the existence of the social formation, or the specific historical case. (Roberts)
Colonial rule
(Cohen et al)
Independence Post-colonial project: import substitution industrialisation (ISI)
Political bend towards left, flirtations with varying social oriented production systems, political non-alignment third way neither capitalist or communist [Yugoslavia’s workers’ self-management model]
Economic incorporation into western capitalist economic order maintained
Govt as main economic player (state; public enterprises & industries)
Outcome:
High economic and employment growth rates;
Internal and local problems and the collapse of leadership political credibility in the (lost decade 1975-76 to mid 1980s)
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Gender dynamics of Growth Factors
Economic decline and reforms forced regrouping around pooled household resources exploiting women survival skills
Loss of male formal sector jobs intensifying household reliance on women’s incomes
Women’s location:
Service
Urban informal sales and commercial sectors
Rural agriculture (subsistence food crop, food processing and sale)
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Informal in Ghana’s Economy
3 sectors: Formal, Rural & Urban informal
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Informal 86%
Formal 14%
Ghanaian labour force
Informal 80%
Formal 20%
Female Labour Force
Informal Formal
5.60%
1%
Growth Rate
Female 57%
Male 43%
IE Gender Composition
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Agric forestry &
fishing 38%
Wholesale & retail
25%
Manufacturing 14%
Accommodation &
food 5% Others
19%
Major Industry Employed: Female
Agric forestry &
fishing 46%
Wholesale & retail
12%
Manufacturing 9%
Accommodation &
food 1%
Others 32%
Major Industry Employed: Male
The ‘Iceberg’ View of the Economy Economy spheres of activities (levels of visibility
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Visible formal economy: marketed goods and services: supply & demand Price mechanism for allocating resources & determining value;
Less visible, informal economy: Marketed goods and services undocumented by official statistics (self exploitation, deprived surplus)
Invisible, subsistence economy- Goods and services produced for own consumption
Totally invisible Unpaid reproductive work and care in the household Underlies productivity of labour power that keeps entire economy working Naila Kabeer, 2003
)
Reproduction Reproduction/care an important pillar
of feminist/gender analysis
Highlights importance of women’s reproductive burdens, time and resource deficits & ensuing gender inequalities.
Key to understanding labour market segmentation, occupational segregation and gendered poverty.
Also known as…
Sexual division of labour (SDOL)
Gendered division of labour,
Reproduction
Reproductive labour
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Gender and Reproduction
Family/household as an economic unit for production, reproduction and consumption
Women bear unequal burden for housework Rationalized by male ‘breadwinner’ capitalist system
Women have to combine productive work with reproduction
Beneficiaries of women’s reproductive labour Male household members freed for productive work
and leisure, Employers owners of capital (no investment in labour
force reproduction)
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Gender and Reproduction
Women bear responsibility for labour force reproduction (future, present and past)
Women as a heterogeneous group do not carry an equal burden of domestic work;
Increased male involvement good for altering existing sexual stereotypes but…
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Labour and the gender question
Women’s union situation globally
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Australia Canada Korea Philippines UK Zimbabwe
Fe/Male Union Density Men Women
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10
20
30
40
50
60
70
CONTARF/CUT CUPE GTUC KCTU ZCTU ZIMTA
53
67
30 27
20
52 50
13
33.3
28
17
27
Members N C
Women’s Union Leadership Positions
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7 Female leadership, gendered stereotypes
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Dealing with GD Deficit
Women as a group Separate space
Participation
Women as individuals Special Representation
Promotional
Institutional Anchoring
Legitimacy Organisational Base Constitutional, rule amendment Coordinating body, policy
Autonomous bodies
Wings, committees
Separate events
Conferences, meetings
Expanding
representation Quotas, Reserved
Seats & positions
Capacity
Building Education & Training;
Family support
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Current Challenges
Trade unions structures Weak women/mainstream relations Disconnection b/n women leaders, GD organs & members Union commitment to GD [political and financial] Ownership of GD strategies: top down donor driven
Union culture Patriarchal practices and norms Male hostility and resistance Sexual harassment Union leadership perceived as male preserve
Union processes Weak implementation of GD No union education for women No support for women’s caregiving Time for union events Women’s value of union usefulness High cost of union events
Gender Conceptual confusion
Questioning wmn’s space & organs Equality argument to retain male privilege Confusing class with gender Women only interventions Undermine transformatory potential
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Conditions for success
Levels of decision making powers accorded
Autonomy/integration balance
Adequate union resources
Channelling energies generated in separate spaces into mainstream structures
Connection between women workers’ needs and union policy
Presence of a sufficient core of women activists with the required consciousness
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Setting a Union research agenda for gender transformation
Setting Union gender transformation research agenda some issues
Unions structures and breaking patriarchal norms and standards
Understanding union role in maintaining patriarchy
Bringing care, subsistence and informal economy into the political economy of production;
Sexuality and its commercialisation (notions of masculinity);
Connection between productive and reproductive resources;
Distilling class from gender needs:
Women power under patriarchy;
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Thanks for listening