At the roots
of inequality

The horrific conditions suffered by women in armed conflicts are often ignored. As an example, the Global Peace Index does not include data on conflict related gender-based sexual violence. At the same time, on a global level, care work performed mainly by women is still taken for granted, despite the fact that it represents a fundamental pillar for the capitalist economy.

Under these conditions, feminist economic policies are essential to ensure social justice, especially in marginalised communities. Jennifer Olmsted, an economist from Drew University (New Jersey) who took part in the 32nd annual conference of the International Association for Feminist Economics (Iaffe), held in Rome from 3 to 5 July 2024 and of which inGenere was media partner, is convinced of this.

In her research, Olmsted applies a feminist lens to the field of development economics with a specific focus on labour markets, migration and the economic consequences of political conflicts. She focuses on how these factors differentially influence the lives of men and women, amplifying the discrimination women experience in other social spheres as well.

Her speech at the conference focused on militarisation and the effects of globalisation in Middle Eastern countries. We asked her a few questions.

Why does our present strongly need a feminist economy?

Because there is still much to be done to achieve gender equality in the world. In order to reach this goal, it is not enough to limit oneself to studying only women and gender discrimination, but it is necessary to analyse the structural challenges in society that arise from all kinds of diversity: from ethnicity, social class, sexual orientation. Understanding how the gender matrix is the root cause of inequality between men and women is essential, but focusing only on this aspect can overshadow many of the problems of inequality and exploitation that occur around the world, and it is therefore important to also integrate an intersectional perspective into feminist economic policies. I think Iaffe provides just such an opportunity to bring these issues to light and to reflect on the intersectionality of the systemic discrimination that women experience, and how these social injustices alter the internal structures of society.

How can the Middle East be a meaningful observation lens in this process?

The Middle East is experiencing many changes. One of the main ones concerns the increase in the number of women entering the labour market. However, it is still a territory shaken by war, which is why much of my research focuses on the social and economic impact of armed conflicts in the so-called 'MENA' area.[1] However, one should not think of this situation as an isolated case, because it is a global problem: one cannot disconnect the Middle East issue from the rest of the world, where equal rights for all discriminated categories have not yet been achieved.

How do you see the role of women in the Middle East economy evolving in the coming years?

It will not be a linear process: some countries may achieve important results in the coming years, but there are many challenges to take into account, such as the crisis in Syria, and the devastating condition Gaza is in. To date, it is unclear whether Gaza will be able to recover in the near future. This horrific crisis has led to refugees, who were already living in precarious conditions before the conflict, becoming again displaced, without a house, a job and economic stability. On the other hand, it is difficult to speak of the Middle East region as a whole. We also can think of the Gulf countries, which are some of the richest in the world: there affluent women live on par with Western women. The root of inequality in the region goes back to the origins of colonialism. We must tackle the structural inequalities imposed then to ensure that the living conditions of women in the Middle East can improve.

During your speech, it emerged that men are more likely to die from direct violent acts during a conflict, while women suffer more frequently from the longer term consequences of wars such as shortages or destruction of infrastructure, epidemics or famine. If we consider war as the ultimate expression of male violence, can women be considered doubly victims of armed conflicts?

The men who are killed in war are certainly victims. War is harmful to everyone except military arms producers: it destroys societies. The only people who win are the criminals, who actually proliferate in the context of war, taking advantage of the situation. But I don't think you can say that women are the only victims. Everyone suffers. Take for example the issue of education: in conditions of peace, sometimes boys have more opportunities to study than girls, but once a war starts, both boys and girls suffer from the lack of education. In war, we all have something to lose.

In what sense is arms production a gender issue?

A large part of the workforce involved in the military sector is male. Moreover, those who profit from conflicts are mainly the managers and owners of companies involved in the manufacture of war arsenals. Patriarchy and militarism go very well together, and are part of the same system. Together they create the oppressive conditions that we try to confront every day; they are inseparable.

Would it be better if women were involved in military production?

That is a good question. Some feminists say no, women shouldn't, and some feminists say yes. I am for peace, I think the best solution is to decrease the number of military personnel in general, and not to incorporate more women into the army.

How can the traditional economy be reorganised to include feminist spaces?

During my speech at the Iaffe conference, I spoke about militarism, but I believe that in order to reorganise the traditional economy to include feminist spaces, it is necessary to begin with care work. We must recognise that a fundamental aspect of society is raising future generations (social reproduction). It is the most important work we do, yet it is not valued. Feminists, especially economists, have focused on showing how care work is at the centre of all economies. Economies rely on workers, but the work of raising those workers is done by women who do much of this care work for free. Capitalism depends on the unpaid work of women and the economy must start giving it its due.

Notes

[1] Abbreviation for Middle East and North Africa, a term used to refer to the large area that stretches across north-west Africa between Morocco in the west and Iran, encompassing the territories of Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, West Bank, Gaza and Yemen.