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What does the emergence of globalization have to do with gender relations? It is important to remember that such massive changes in the way the economy and society function will always have huge social implications, and gender is no exception. Globalization has had considerable impacts on both men and women, but who has benefited? Is globalization equally advantageous for both men and women? To what extent do third world countries benefit from globalization? As a result of having spread out worldwide, globalization has effects on different societies, cultures, norms, values and the way people think. Globalization has resulted in many deep-rooted societal and economic issues which are usually overlooked in today’s fast-growing modern world. There is a wide range of factors to consider when analyzing the gendered impact of globalization.
Globalization and its Impact on Women in the Third World
Before getting into this discussion, an outcome of globalization – the feminization of poverty, is worth mentioning. The discussion on the negative effects of globalization on women is centered on this theory. As the name suggests, the ‘feminization’ of poverty refers to the idea that women fall deeper into a poverty trap as compared to men. In his journal article titled ‘The Feminization of Poverty: Claims, Facts, and Data Needs’, Alain Marcoux, while maintaining that figures on the feminization of poverty have been greatly exaggerated, does not deny that it is a reality. He says, ‘Women, especially in developing countries, are thought to bear an unequal share of the burden of poverty.’ (Marcoux, 1998) Keeping this theory in mind, the situation of women in Pakistan, India, and Africa provides evidence that the marginalization and hardships of women are enhanced as a result of global practices and societies/economies functioning on the principles of capitalism.
Globalization has direct effects on a country’s culture and education system. This, in turn, affects consumption patterns of society and consequently, the kind of products that are demanded and produced in the market.
A big impact of globalization on the world is the rapidly growing importance and prominence of information technology. The internet circulates a wide range of knowledge which would be inaccessible to developing countries such as those in Africa. In a journal article titled ‘Gender, Globalization and Marginalization in Africa’, Olurode argues that ‘This promotes social exclusion, particularly of women in Africa, who, because of low education, fueled by poverty and social discrimination, cannot participate in large numbers in this process of information technology.’ (Olurode, 2003)
Olurode goes on to identify multiple other factors which point towards the deteriorating position of women in the African economy and workplace. Olurode stresses that ‘It seems that with the conclusion of each phase of globalization, men and women became more unequal.’ (Olurode, 2003) The article discusses the impact on Africa’s agricultural sector and the difference in importance of the crops produced by men and women.
The liberalization of the agricultural sector in Africa led to structural adjustments in order to bring about reforms in the sector supposedly for the betterment of the farmers. The first result of this structural adjustment was the elimination of marketing boards which were thought to be exploitative. However, the elimination of these marketing boards led to a devaluation of currency which meant that there would be a higher return on cash crop exports. It is a fact that women have been dominating the production of subsistence crops such a staple food production. This way, local food crops that women are responsible for decline in value while cash crops, which are the responsibility of men become more valuable as they are exports. (Olurode, 2003)
Another impact of the liberalization of the African economy is that land ownership becomes very individualistic and loses any sense of community. This has clear benefits for men whereas women have no basis to hold community meetings and address gender-related ideas/agendas.
Such conditions of poverty also force parents to choose between their children when it comes to giving them an education. Due to the high costs of education, families in developing countries with great class divides such as Pakistan choose to send their sons to school instead of their daughters. This makes women fall further into the poverty trap as lack of education either makes them dependent on their fathers and future husbands or forces them to turn to prostitution, making them more vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV.
Having faced such adverse conditions doesn’t mean that women don’t protest or resist such practices. While they remain helpless in the face of economic suppressions, the 21st century is an era when feminist movements are gaining increasing prominence. While the process of globalization may hamper economic opportunities for women in third world countries, it allows feminist movements to reach such countries and make women more aware of their rights. The growing representation of female politicians, as pointed out by Olurode, is also a direct effect of globalization. International institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund made political reform, policies based on women and human rights and effective governance a pre-condition for receiving finances. As a result, across Africa, ‘women’s non-governmental organizations have multiplied…’ (Olurode, 2003)
Summarizing the overall effects of globalization, Olurode stresses that global processes such as western music, food, culture, dressing, etc become the ideal example to follow and local customs, traditions, and practices become irrelevant, which causes identity to become a subject of alienation. (Olurode, 2003) This has direct implications on women as their work becomes highly domesticated because their commercial work begins to lose value. This strengthens the patriarchal system and maintains a capitalist society where marginal groups remain marginalized.
In an article written by Arif Hasan titled ‘Honour Killings’, he talks about how an increasing number of women are now entering the workforce in Pakistan. He points out that Pakistan is currently undergoing an intense and rapid process of social change, which has implications of its own. This view questions the one discussed above that women are becoming increasingly confined to their homes. His research points to the fact that because there is a rising resistance to cultural practices and women are more out there in modern Pakistan, the result of this is a greater amount of violence against women. This is because he argues, ‘a gender-segregated patriarchal society, which has traditionally used violence for settling even petty disputes, is finding it difficult to come to terms with new realities.’ (Hasan, 2016) This view presents a different side of globalization. The increasing influence of the media from all around the world creates new role models and ideals. Feminist icons have a much greater reach and manage to influence young girls making them aware of their rights from a young age. While this is beneficial from a wider lens, it is true that these ‘changes cannot be digested by a conservative establishment and its support groups’ making women more vulnerable to attacks and honor killings. (Hasan, 2016)
An article was written by Maithreyi Krishnaraj titled ‘Globalization and Women in India’ points out the unfavorable position of women at a time of rapid globalization. Working conditions in India put women at a major disadvantage. Krishnaraj highlights the fact that women ‘constitute 70 percent of the world’s poor and two-thirds of the world’s illiterates.’ The process of globalization only aggravates this situation in a highly competitive capitalist era where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Adding to this, Krishnaraj identifies the same problem as in African economies i.e. the ‘foreign trade orientation.’ India is also a country that has valuable agricultural resources. Yet, it depends on other countries for the majority of its food supply. He also mentions African economies and how its agricultural sector was completely ruined because of having a similar fate. (Krishnaraj, 1999)
Indian women ‘are affected by fewer opportunities for paid work on decent terms’. This is a direct consequence of agricultural practices in India becoming lesser valuable due to global processes such as trade among different countries. Other industries such as electronics, sports, leather, and garments do employ women but at cheap exploitative rates and usually without any job security or protectionist policies. (Krishnaraj, 1999)
Globalization has Mixed Impacts on Gender Relations
Globalization is a complicated phenomenon with no black and white answers. The above case- studies have demonstrated that economically, women are at a disadvantage when compared to men. Even though economies are rapidly progressing due to increased interaction with other countries at the international level, deep-rooted patriarchal structures still stand firm, especially in Pakistan and India. Due to this, women are marginalized and offered lesser pay for the same job as their male colleagues. They are forced to work in bad working conditions and the value of their produce declines as compared to the value of goods produced by men.
On the other hand, a positive view of globalization looks at some beneficial social implications for women. Rising feminist movements are a good example. Women are getting greater representation in politics and are becoming more aware of their rights. Access to a global phenomenon – the internet, makes it easier for women to reach out to feminist icons and follow them as ideals. As Arif Hasan’s article points out, rapid social change with more women becoming educated and joining the workforce poses a threat to traditional patriarchal societies, which again, makes women more vulnerable to attacks and retaliation.
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About the Author
Fizza Hussain has major in Social Development and Policy from Habib University in Karachi, Pakistan. She focuses on the discourse surrounding gender, education, and globalization. Currently, she is working for the Human Rights Department of Sindh as a Data Analyst as part of the Young Expert Program (YEP) funded by the European Union.
