Gender and Economic Adjustment in Sub-Saharan Africa

[摘要] Gender bias, or "neutrality"in the underlying concepts, and tools of economics, has ledto "invisibility" of women's economic, andnon-economic work, thus, to an incomplete picture of totaleconomic activity. This is predominantly so in Africa, wherewomen articulated their concern regarding the social costsof adjustment, and the impact of adjustment on women. Thisdrove to consolidating the adjustment experience withdocumented findings on the effects of structural adjustment,and to address the absence of attention to gender inup-stream macroeconomic analysis, and policy formulation,which are at the core of designing adjustment programs, andsectoral strategies. The note reviews the implications, orlack thereof, in considering gender as a distinguishingfactor in the design of economic adjustment measures, whoseanalysis suggests that the improvement in the content ofadjustment to include social dimensions, still has to gofarther in incorporating gender concerns. In moving towardaction in adjustment, it is critical that local, andinternational capacity be built to undertake relevant genderanalysis, focusing among others, on the gender-exclusionarybias of economic, and financial services, such asagricultural research and extension, and enterprise credit.Moreover, public expenditure analysis could provide thebasis for an integrated policy, where the inclusion ofgender-focused projects in the expenditure program isrecommended, as a means of removing constraints limitingwomen's response to improved policy.

[发布机构] World Bank, Washington, DC

[学科分类] 社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

[关键词] ADJUSTMENT;ADJUSTMENT PROCESS;AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH;AGRICULTURE;ATTENTION