Can Markets Alter Gender Relations?

Abstract

This paper examines how far and through what processes can gender relations become more favorable to women of countries undergoing economic development with a globalized perspective. It makes a brief review of the past debates on this topic in feminist literature; it argues that though at the present juncture issues relating to poor working conditions, poverty and environmental degradation appear of more immediate concem to women’s movements, gender concerns cannot but remain central to our understanding of the changing laborprocesses and of the situation of women engaged in the globalized market economy. On the basis of the experiences of women in several Asian countries, it argues that a similarity in women’s employment pattern at one stage of development does not warrant the assumption that this will continue to be so at more advanced stages of industrialization the backgrounds against which women’s employment takes shape at each stage differ widely between countries. Similarly, to assume that women are the most flexible section of the labor force also shows a lack of understanding of the various forces that affect gender relations and women’s work participation. It then goes on to show that in these Asian countries, capital has seldom challenged the existing patriarchal traditions: rather, it has harnessed them to its own benefit. But gender relations have changed to an extent in the households, through state intervention and through women’s own changing perceptions. Lastly the author has constructed an index of patriarchy which shows that while development does improve women’s gendered position, it is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for that.