What do we want? A feminist
economic strategy
When do we want it? Now!
Ruth Pearson
r.pearson@leeds.ac.uk
Presentation to panel on
From resistance to a new economy:
UK Feministas Summer School,
University of Birmingham August 2013
There is an alternative!
A Feminist Economics Approach
Need to challenge the idea that there is no
alternative to the cut welfare and public
spending/ reduce wages and national debt
approach of current government (and
others)
Feminist economics offers a different
perspective – prioritises the reproductive
economy, not the financial (neo-classical) or
productive ( post) Keynesian approach
Rethinking the economy
Conventional economics concerned with
financial flows and balances – taxation,
spending, international trade, deficit and
debt
And assumes that growth in the GDP is the
holy grail of economic achievement;
Fem econs are concerned with the
(re)production of people and wellbeing - not
just labour power
Investing in the social
approach – to invest in the social
infrastructure (care, multigenerational – infant,
children, teenagers, disabled, elderly)
Counter
In economic terms- as important as the physical
infrastructure ( HSR2, roads, housing)

Not
just jobs for women; but important stimulus to
the economy – creates employment, spending, tax
revenues as well as skills and experience
Reproductive
work ( not just biological but also
daily, generational and social) essential for the rest of
the economy to function
Who Cares?: reclaiming unpaid
and reproductive work
In crisis times, the need for care increases while the
public provision decreases;
Generally has a detrimental effect on women whose
unpaid work has to fill in the gaps as well as
complement public provision;
Migrants useful for bridging the care deficit – provide
care labour without the receiving state meeting the
cost of the reproduction of the migrant’s own labour
power;
Need to re-value and reward unpaid work
Employment, wages and the
social wage
Much emphasis on numbers employed;
And on real wages
What about the social wage?
What about distribution of income and entitlements?
Think about the “Reproductive Bargain”
What kind of policies
could we have?
Building of houses BUT also community facilities;
+ Investment in social infrastructure:
Sure
start: re early years services
Sure things: re school age/young people’s services
Sure finish: re information and support for older people;
Restore EMA; link student finance to pro public
employment and activities;
Expand Adult/continuing education
Regional redistribution: rich regions could subsides poorer parts of the
country
Recognition and reward for unpaid work- in terms of contributions to
society as well as family (reflected in pension entitlements and other
benefits
Living wage: to include the social wage ie a measure of access to non
wage benefits and publically financed services.
How does Government
Finance work? Expenditure,
Revenue, Deficits and Debts
Expenditure on public services, infrastructure, income
transfers
Revenue raised through direct and indirect taxes,
user charges, royalties
Deficits ie expenditure is greater than revenue;
Deficits appropriate in economic downturns
Debt because governments borrow
Debt is appropriate to fund investment
UK currently has quite a large deficit to GDP ratio
but not a large debt to GDP ratio
How can feminist economic
policies be financed?
Higher income tax from those earning over £75k;
Social solidarity tax (similar to post re-unification
Germany)
Incentives for sustainable consumption and energy
use reduction;
Financial Transactions (Tobin) Tax – from Robin
Hood to Maid Marion;
Reduction in military spending (eg no replacement of
Cruse missiles
Curbs/windfall taxes on profits from privatisation and
unregulated banking
Diversion of bankers’ and company directors’
bonuses and golden handshakes.
Why Gender Budgeting?
Women’s Budget Group: www.wbg.org.uk
Budgets appear to be gender neutral but can reduce
or reinforce gender inequality;
Budgeting for gender equality does NOT imply that
50 per cent of tax revenues should be paid by males
and 50 per cent by females, because women’s
incomes are lower than men’s;
Budgeting for gender equality does NOT imply that
50 per cent of spending on EACH programme should
accrue to females and 50 per cent should accrue to
males, because women and girls and men and boys
are present in different proportions in the groups
relevant to different programmes
Budgeting for Gender Equality
Moving beyond measuring and reporting on
expenditure on women focused or equal
opportunities programmes;
Conducting adequate gender impact assessments
and introducing measures to mitigate adverse
impacts on gender equality (eg cuts in public sector
employment);
Maintaining gender equality objectives even if deficits
are being reduced : Eg : Andalucía: Total expenditure
cut by 1.4% in 2010, but expenditure on gender
equality priority programmes rose by 2.7%
What do we want?:
A caring economy
People centred economic strategy
Values care and quality of life through
the life course
Prioritises individual and collective
wellbeing
Redistributes income and wealth
Restores economic citizenship to all