The Gendered Impacts of Liberalization Towards Embedded Liberalism [Paperback]

In the last two decades public policies have reflected a drive for accelerated global economic integration ( globalization ), associated with greater economic liberalization. The outcomes have been largely disappointing, even in the estimate of their designers. Rural livelihoods have become more insecure, and the expected growth has rarely materialized. Insecurity is also etched into the growth of informal economies across the world. Yet the economic policy agenda that has been so adverse to many people around the world has also provided new opportunities to some social groups, including some low-income women. In response to widespread discontent with the liberalization agenda, more attention is now being given to social policies and governance issues, viewed as necessary if globalization is to be tamed and embedded . The contributors to this volume address key issues and questions such as whether states have the capacity to remedy the social distress unleashed by liberalization in the absence of any major revision of their macroeconomic policies and whether the proposed social policy reforms can redress gender-based inequalities in access to resources and power.

1. The Gendered Impacts of Liberalization: Towards Embedded Liberalism?  Shahra Razavi  Part One: Rural Livelihoods under Liberalization  2. The Gendered Impacts of Liberalization Policies on African Agricultural Economies and Rural Livelihoods  Ann Whitehead  3. Gender Inequality and Agrarian Change in Liberalizing India  Cecile Jackson and Nitya Rao  4. The Feminization of Agriculture? The Impact of Economic
Restructuring in Rural Latin America  Carmen Diana Deere  Part Two: Informalization and Feminization of Labour  5. Informalization, the Informal Economy and Urbalƒâ