5. WHO ARE THE POSSIBLE AGENTS OF CHANGE AND HOW THEY CAN BECOME ACTIVE?
There are different agents who have different tools and possibilities to influence women’s economic empowerment:
- The women themselves
- by taking up opportunities of education and advanced training;
- by asking for higher wages;
- by organizing their family life in a way allowing work-life balance, involving fathers in the family care work;
- by networking, supporting and promoting each other;
- by founding their own businesses and becoming entrepreneurs.
- Husbands and fathers, male colleagues
- by taking over their fair share of the family care work;
- by supporting women to have fair and equal pay.
- Employers
- by not discriminating women in their wage-policies;
- by offering part-time jobs to men and women;
- by offering flexible working conditions;
- by providing childcare in the enterprises.
- Trade unions
- by advocating explicitly for low-income groups and part time workers;
- by advocating for shorter weekly working time and a good work-life balance for all.
- The state
- by abolishing law that is discriminatory;
- by introducing laws that favour and support women in areas where they are structurally disadvantaged;
- by engaging actively in the change of gendered role models;
- by introducing laws that force employers to not discriminate and favour family friendly policy in the enterprises;
- by providing infrastructure such as childcare and care for the elderly;
- by acting as employers with good working conditions for women.
Different economic schools as well as people with different political views will favour different approaches. The main differences are best illustrated by two following approaches:
NEOCLASSICAL AND NEOLIBERAL APPROACH
According to the neoclassical approach, liberalisation will result in greater gains to women, mainly in terms of reducing gender pay and employment gaps.
The neoliberal approach sees gender equality and in particular women’s empowerment as a tool to promote economic development and social justice. According to this perspective, women themselves should be the main agents of change, and equality should be exercised on an individual level.
The state’s role is to prevent women from legal discrimination and provide them with equal access to education while emphasising market liberalisation.
FEMINIST APPROACH
The feminist approach puts women’s economic empowerment at the centre and sees the current economic model as malfunctioning. Gender inequality is directly linked to economic inequality.
For that reason, feminist economists call for a fundamental change in economic models that will bring equality for everyone.
According to this view, it is necessary to start giving more attention to legal frameworks, labour rights, decent work, care economy and other areas supporting women’s economic empowerment.
