India

Constructing New Frameworks: Women’s Location in the Economies of NAM Countries: 

Constructing New Frameworks: Women’s Location in the Economies of NAM Countries Devaki Jain NIEW Launch Sep 10th -11th Kuala Lumpur

Historical Journey of Women in NAM: 

Historical Journey of Women in NAM NAM has always linked political freedom and sovereignty of South countries to economic freedom and justice Offered a political space outside of the UN Commonwealth and other such multilateral configurations on the platform of freedom. From subjugated political economies Women from the South countries found this space enabling as the language was antidiscrimination and pro emancipation

Achievements of the 3 NAMWomen’s Conf. : 

Achievements of the 3 NAM Women’s Conf. NAM Women’s Conference Baghdad 1979,- impacted the UN Mid-decade Conference (1980 Copenhagen) brought the issue of North/South to women’s discourse Helped make the connection between women and the need for the New International Economic Order In Havana 1981 - connected the struggle for the advancement of women with other struggles for emancipation and liberation In New Delhi 1985 created the South solidarity that then influenced the UN Nairobi conference 1985

Can We Carry the Journey Forward : 

Can We Carry the Journey Forward NAM to reconsider their framework on, women and development initiatives, development and trade cooperation, international negotiations etc Suggest we adopt a theme that reflects this reality Moving away from the UN’s current thematic framework of BPFA or MDGs

The Theme : 

The Theme In the global landscape today women are emerging as the major workforce-the vital economic growth agents Women's work, paid and unpaid, critical to national wealth, social stability and the reproduction of a labour force – in market and non-market institutions: Therefore the theme suggested is Women’s Work and South-South Co-operation: Towards an Inclusive Macroeconomic Framework

Way forward …for NAM : 

Way forward …for NAM To uncover the location of women in the political economy To value women’s non-monetised work To have a covenant that protects migrant women of our countries For NAM to take a united stand on MNCs To pressure global institutions against the erosion of the public goods To have a women’s advisory check on all projects

The Current Scenario: Certain Shifts : 

The Current Scenario: Certain Shifts New formations G5 (China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa) Regional Trade ASEAN which now includes Cambodia SAPTA which is the SAARC Arrangement IBSA and Many other South-South configurations

Certain other Shifts in National Economies: 

Certain other Shifts in National Economies New phenomena Composition of GDP from agriculture sector being primary to services Work increasingly “feminised” – both in number and nature (80% workers in export processing zones are women) Migration between and within countries has more women (about 50%)

We Need to Shift our Response too : 

We Need to Shift our Response too We require a theory, reconstruction of the ‘core’ principles in various discipline Out of the knowledge pool of feminine experience, scholarship and struggles What we need are world class ideas

Slide10: 

We a group of women thinkers from the South Pledged to build a more appropriate theory, development framework. Enable women in poverty to walk out of it, not to be trapped into it. www.casablanca-dream.net

NIEW needs to set itself a clear research agenda : 

NIEW needs to set itself a clear research agenda As an independent, inter-disciplinary feminist policy research and advocacy institution. to addresses cutting edge issues that have significant implications for women to incorporate the perspectives and knowledge of women, in all their diversity, in the formulation of public policy to ensure just and equitable development

Some Areas that need to be Studied : 

Some Areas that need to be Studied Current location of woman in the political economy Women vis-à-vis globe trade and trade related protocols, in regional structures Financial arrangements including global compacts on finance, Other legal covenants (incl. those for peace/conflict resolution)

Other themes : 

Other themes Water security and the idea of water poverty Food security and women as contributors to that security women’s non monetised work Instituting a women’s advisory check In short to embrace a more transformative agenda

Reinterpreting Inclusiveness: 

Reinterpreting Inclusiveness A recent initiative in India which is a movement towards “inclusion”, or “agency” is the setting up of a group called Feminist Economists Committee/Group, by the Planning Commission This is officially recognized by a Government order. This initiative is to rectify a gap in the inputs that go into public policy, i.e the insights that emerge from the knowledge on women’s location in the political economy, on the feminine experience, in all domains

The Mandate : 

The Mandate To review and make suggestion on all sectoral Reports of their gender content To examine and suggest how the “inclusive growth’ approach of the 11th plan can be translated into sectoral plans to promote gender equality To suggest norms/guidelines to ensure gender perspective while formulating programmes across sectors. To identify significant trends, for women in the economy and to suggest policy measures to integrate women To look and suggest changes in the indicators that are used to assess progress To look at and identify gaps in the present system of Data collection with special reference to gender related data

The Presentation: 

The Presentation This group made a presentation to the Planning Commission on August 29th 2007. And drew attention to the seriousness of neglect of the knowledge analysis and arguments of feminist economists and the value that their advise can add to India’s commitment to progress. For example

Women’ work: Agriculture : 

Women’ work: Agriculture The Plan aspires to increase agricultural growth but does not recognise that 75% of all women workers, 85% of rural women workers are in agriculture. More than 20% of rural households de facto female-headed. Many women manage farms without male support. Women are 40% of agricultural workforce & % rising. The face of agriculture is increasingly female Achieving agricultural growth targets will depend on policies that increase efficiency of women farmers Women farmers need land titles, credit, infra structure support (technology, inputs, extension, marketing)

Small enterprises: 

Small enterprises Own account enterprises constitute 87% of informal enterprises and 73% of informal workers. Only 12% are women proprietary enterprises, Large proportion of women in all informal enterprises Engage in trade and small manufacturing activities mainly on sub-contract basis. To strengthen women operated enterprises requires: - Access to credit and women friendly banking - Technology and skill training to improve productivity - Such inputs that are industry and region specific - Development of clusters with concentration of women