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Feminism, interrupted? Gender and development in the era of ‘Smart Economics’

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  • Sydney Calkin

    (Department of Geography, University of Durham)

Abstract

This article assesses feminist accounts of co-optation and appropriation in gender and development policy. Today women and girls are the public faces of anti-poverty policy and occupy an important position in the development discourse; however, the ambiguities of the neoliberal gender agenda have provoked an ongoing debate about the extent to which feminist aims and language have been and de-politicized by mainstream institutions. Have feminist aims been co-opted to legitimize anti-feminist policy goals, or does the current visibility of gender issues reflect the success of particular strands of (neo)liberal feminism? I explore these conflicting accounts by examining the current ‘Gender Equality as Smart Economics’ policy agenda, exploring its major themes and institutional form through a focus on two transnational business initiatives. The article concludes that, although accounts of feminism’s cooptation are flawed in their misrepresentation of a diverse and dynamic movement, the transformations wrought by neoliberal-compatible feminisms present troubling challenges for feminists concerned with intersectionality and the links between gender and economic justice.

Suggested Citation

  • Sydney Calkin, 2015. "Feminism, interrupted? Gender and development in the era of ‘Smart Economics’," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 15(4), pages 295-307, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:prodev:v:15:y:2015:i:4:p:295-307
    DOI: 10.1177/1464993415592737
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    References listed on IDEAS

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