How Poorer Women Can Benefit From Globalisation

The debate focused more on the negative impacts of globalisation on marginal groups -- such as women living in poverty.

'Chains of Fortune: Linking Women Producers and Workers with Global Markets' contains six case studies of women employed in Bangladesh, Ghana, India, Mozambique, Samoa and South Africa.

Speaking at the launch, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Winston Cox noted that the mandate for the book arose at the Sixth Meeting of Commonwealth Ministers Responsible for Women's Affairs, held in India in 2000. He stated: "Globalisation has both positive and negative impacts on different sectors of the population in different regions of the world. But we found that, overwhelmingly, the debate focused more on the negative impacts of globalisation on marginal groups -- such as women living in poverty -- and their inability to respond to and benefit from changes in trade policies because of the numerous constraints they face."

Mr Cox said Commonwealth women's affairs ministers had felt that it was important to find positive evidence from around the Commonwealth which shows that marginal groups can enjoy the benefits of globalisation if enabled to do so.

"The Secretariat was tasked by ministers to … identify what we term as 'best practices' of women producers and workers in developing countries linking successfully with global markets within the context of trade liberalisation."

The book focuses on the positive experiences of women producers and workers in the informal economy who, in many parts of the world, comprise the majority of the economically active population and who could contribute much more to output and export growth.

An initiative of the Secretariat's Social Transformation Programmes Division, Special Advisory Services Division and Economic Affairs Division, the book is priced at £11.99 and available from the Commonwealth Secretariat. (This title can be bought online at http://www.publications.thecommonwealth.org/.)

CNIS - the Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 213  8 December 2004

Key Links:

• Gender
• Globalisation

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