Neoliberal programs in Africa South of the Sahara: Gender-blindness and development «laundering»

Abstract

The chapter authored by professors Vieitez and Cunha, “Neoliberal programmes in Africa south of the Sahara: Gender-blindness and development “laundering””, touches on the process that, since the 1970s, has turned neoliberalism into a faith and an economic doctrine in sub-Saharan Africa. Since that decade, women have become targets of development, either by including them in the equation or by “whitewashing” the concept of development by incorporating specifc perceptions, discourses and practices on gender equality. The authors show that neoliberalism has led to impoverishment and the precariousness of labour relations, and in particular for women, subjected to precarious and temporary jobs or involved in the so-called informal economy. The authors support a profound revision of the concept of the dominant economy, which includes a multitude of apparently non-economic factors, such as local institutions, often referred to as informal, and agency capacity. This review is seen as a preliminary and essential step to the resistance and alternatives to the neoliberal model.