Women and the Economy
A Community Health Educator at a client's home
Undervaluation of Women's Work
As noted by Anne Firth Murray, "a woman's work includes whatever she is expected to do for no money as well as what she may choose or be coerced into doing in order to have money to care for her family and herself" (2008:160). Women perform a great deal of work in every country, but the type of work that they perform is often in the informal economy and receives little recognition--both in "developed" and "developing" nations. The burden of childcare, household chores, and other responsibilities of women should not be underestimated. Some women even work for other families--cooking, cleaning, taking care of children or performing other chores; these types of jobs are often paid under the table and not represented in the formal economy. As described in the background, women possess great responsibility in their communities, but their work is not included in the formal economy or GDP.
Women in rural Uganda are often deprived of adequate compensation for their work, as men control the finances in most of the households I interviewed. Some women and men even laughed upon being questioned whether the husband or wife controlled the family's money, indicating that they found the thought of women controlling the family's money preposterous. Despite the large role they play in taking care of the household and children, many women must receive permission from their husbands to spend money, particularly on services such as health care. The restricted agency of these women and their dependence on their husbands is an issue that merits more attention. As Sen and Grown note, "Women's work, under-remunerated and undervalued as it is, is vital to the survival and ongoing reproduction of human beings in all societies. In food production and processing, in responsibility for fuel, water, health care, child-rearing, sanitation, and the entire range of so-called basic needs, women's labor is dominant" (Murray 2008:160).
As noted by Anne Firth Murray, "a woman's work includes whatever she is expected to do for no money as well as what she may choose or be coerced into doing in order to have money to care for her family and herself" (2008:160). Women perform a great deal of work in every country, but the type of work that they perform is often in the informal economy and receives little recognition--both in "developed" and "developing" nations. The burden of childcare, household chores, and other responsibilities of women should not be underestimated. Some women even work for other families--cooking, cleaning, taking care of children or performing other chores; these types of jobs are often paid under the table and not represented in the formal economy. As described in the background, women possess great responsibility in their communities, but their work is not included in the formal economy or GDP.
Women in rural Uganda are often deprived of adequate compensation for their work, as men control the finances in most of the households I interviewed. Some women and men even laughed upon being questioned whether the husband or wife controlled the family's money, indicating that they found the thought of women controlling the family's money preposterous. Despite the large role they play in taking care of the household and children, many women must receive permission from their husbands to spend money, particularly on services such as health care. The restricted agency of these women and their dependence on their husbands is an issue that merits more attention. As Sen and Grown note, "Women's work, under-remunerated and undervalued as it is, is vital to the survival and ongoing reproduction of human beings in all societies. In food production and processing, in responsibility for fuel, water, health care, child-rearing, sanitation, and the entire range of so-called basic needs, women's labor is dominant" (Murray 2008:160).
Empowering Women in the Economy
A woman with her child in the village
The inadequate recognition and appreciation women receive for their labor is certainly problematic, and while it may seem that the solution is easy, there are a range of important factors that must be taken into consideration. Providing women with formal employment or access to finance (i.e., via micro finance institutions) may merely increase the load on already overburdened women. Women are not likely to be responsible for a lesser extent of the household duties just because they have an additional economic responsibility. In fact, many men perceive their wives' work as recreational or optional and still perceive their wives' household responsibilities as primary. Haile, Bock, and Folmer (2012) indicate that this burden on mothers may be detrimental to their daughters, who often stop attending school to help meet the household's needs. By increasing the burden on women through formal employment or financing a micro-business venture, mothers may require more assistance from their daughters at an early point in their lives in order to complete the household duties. This illustrates a negative consequence of economically empowering women for the younger generations of girls: lower educational achievement. Furthermore, empowerment of women may be detrimental to their well-being, as an increase in responsibilities can limit women's sleep and contribute to the worsening of their overall health (Haile, Bock, and Folmer 2012).
Despite these challenges, it seems necessary to address the economic disempowerment of women. The challenges above demonstrate the importance of cultural-appropriateness of programs implemented to empower women. Many other sources emphasize the power of microfinance lending to transform the role of women around the world. To read more about recommendations for the future, click here.
Despite these challenges, it seems necessary to address the economic disempowerment of women. The challenges above demonstrate the importance of cultural-appropriateness of programs implemented to empower women. Many other sources emphasize the power of microfinance lending to transform the role of women around the world. To read more about recommendations for the future, click here.