Women in (Recognized) Work | Feminist Economics Part 2

In this second lecture in the Institute for New Economic Thinking’s “Feminist Economics” series, Professor Jayati Ghosh explores the challenge of defining 'work', and the shortcomings and consequences of attempts to define it too narrowly. Female labor often lies disproportionately on the fluctuating frontiers of the formal economy. Women serve as reserve armies of labor for capitalist accumulation and frontline workers during industrialization. But as soon as these frontiers expand or change, women are expelled or relegated to the shadows of the informal economy and piece-rate labor. There is a frequent failure to recognize the importance of the kind of work many women engage in, which both keeps an economy running and enables its expansion and growth. By embracing narrow or outdated definitions of work, economists and government agencies overlook these vital frontier areas, and leave women workers, already the most vulnerable, without minimal protections.

Credits: Jayati Ghosh, Matthew Kulvicki, Nick Alpha, Gonçalo Fonseca, Kurt Semm

[syedazainabalizaidi]

Superb ...good work ' in a good way you cover a important topic of society ..thank you .

[happyclappy]

an excellent series of lectures. Reminds me of some of my other favourite feminist scholars like Lebohang Pheko, Dzodzi Tsikata and Nina Banks

[petermanuel]

It's all work. If it's paid or not. UBI, guaranteed housing, schooling, food, and care. The basics to live dignified lives. The resources are available, they are just not distributed fairly throughout the world/societies.

[emilianosintarias]

Studies show that men do as much unpaid work outside the job as women, they simply don't do the same tasks. Just because he cleaned the car, mowed the lawn, fixed the furnace, roughhoused with the kids, or built a deck doesn't mean it wasn't work.

[valerieurquhart]

In the 1970's Canadian women were trying to get value recognition for what was included in your Codes 92 & 93. All that came out of it was that the stay-at-home woman was upgraded from "housewife" to "domestic engineer" (without pay, of course)

[INTP]

Why is it that when it is mechanized then suddenly companies prefer men??? How does this shift works?? Women are still available at low wages and if they're willing to work for 15 hours. Is it because women are less willing to go and work in the factories as they have to do the socially acceptable "mandatory" carework in homes??

[tumbleweed]

this is making my head hurt. its so complex

[ilmnaut]

Is social justice an economic activity too?

[vieworama]

If y’all are falling asleep because u’re watching this in sim ->

[khaimgulkovich]

Labor is an activity that contributes to the preservation and/or continuation of the process of cognition of the Universe.

[atiqueahmed]

Mam I have one doubt, please make a video on that, In our society jobs are limited, even jobs are not sufficient for all men than, If women will come into employment than where man will go.

[jyotivig]

Redefining traditional gender roles is what is essential, a more equal distribution of care work across genders is the only way women will have the time and space to express their abilities in the workplace as well as the home. Fortunately that is happening.

[khaimgulkovich]

Your probing into reality is too shallow.

[jyotivig]

The categorization of unpaid care work for women is rather nebulous. The unpaid care work is being done in the context of a legitimate marital contract. The woman engaged in the care work is being financially supported by her partner, her basic needs such as shelter, food etc. is being paid for by her spouses paid work, the latter is the reason why single motherhood is so precarious, earning a living while caring for infants is nearly impossible except for the well healed woman who has extended family/friends to help her or savings from having worked prior to having children. Is there such a thing as unpaid work, I doubt it. Women engage in unpaid care work only when they are supported by their spouse within the confines of the marital contract. This is true for both working class as well as upper class women.