The 1980s IMF’s and World Bank’s Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) sort to orient developing economies toward the market. It is well documented that the resulting privatization led to higher economic inequality and difficult years for poor people, particularly women. Every aspect of women’s lives was affected by the programs including health, education, and food security. The years following the SAPs saw an expansion of technology particularly the proliferation of cellphones, internet connectivity and social media. These changes affected the lives of women in Africa more positively through the ability to communicate with others, engage in trade, further their education, and play a role in the global economy. At the same time, technology left many behind and led to further societal inequalities. I am looking for panelists whose papers focus on the effect of globalization on the lives of women in Africa. Papers from any discipline are welcome so long as they are directly or tangentially related to African women and globalization. My own paper reports a mixed-method study of women in Kenya. It traces the women’s career paths from the 1980s to present. The study found that despite being high academic achievers, many of the women felt unprepared for life. Career success was highly dependent on social connections, sexual harassment was rampant, and male relatives largely shaped both their career and life paths. Nevertheless, most of the women survived and even thrived. Instead of “leaning in,” they “dug in” by working hard, biding their time, pioneering new ideas, radically changing careers and continually furthering their education.
Please email your abstract to Shiko Gathuo at sgathuo@worcester.edu by March 14.
