Presentation of the special issue “Feminist Economy”

Abstract

Feminist economy opens a window to reflection, research and political action regarding the most remarkable axes of feminist critique on mainstream economy. In this sense, the critique covers a variety of dimensions and levels that are interrelated and go from macro and structural aspects of the global system to the effects on women’s and men’s living conditions, as well as other crises such as that happening in care, the environment or in democracy.

An interesting focal point is highlighting, from the gender perspective, the interweaving of unequal power relationships and its influence on employment markets, care and the distribution of the time men and women use for production and reproduction. Feminist conclusions on economic crisis cycles in general, and on adjustment policies developed on the grounds of the ‘great crisis’ starting in 2007/2008, respond to this line of work.

The transformational perspective is implicit in all dimensions of the feminist critique, albeit explicit among certain approaches on a change of the society model. The target of life sustainability as a priority of public policies emerges along with other alter-globalist approaches with regard to questioning patriarchal relationships.

The much needed dialogue between the alternatives and the approaches given by feminist economy pivots on a variety of axes, among which there is persistence or thinning of sexual division of work is of central importance. The direction of public policies and the practice of institutionalising the gender equality approach are regarded, from the view of feminist critique, as useful tools for a process of change of the imposed gender social order.

This first issue of the ATLÁNTICAS journal includes a case study on Feminist Economy that shows, as a whole, an account of the situation and of the most relevant points of view.