Embracing Economies of Women: paths to sustainable livelihoods

摘要

Marja-Liisa Swantz argues that mainstream economics today reveals gaps in its capacity to address the economies of the poor, of which women comprise the overwhelming proportion. Throughout sub-Saharan Africa women's socio-economic behaviour does not conform to traditional theoretical economic frameworks. We need an economic theory which can encompass the whole economy (including grassroot women and men's) and diverse economic motivations of women workers. Such frustrations with accepted analytic tools are shared by researchers trying to understand the nature of women's livelihoods and socio-economic networks.