What negative impact could globalization have on women in Africa?
A. Globalization can exacerbate inequality. Footloose capital has a history of evaporating as quickly as it came. Liberalized trade regimes often lead to cheap imports that may overwhelm local industry leading to loss of jobs. This has happened in Kenya and South Africa where women making textiles and handicrafts have simply been driven from the market by cheap imports. A potential for globalization to reinforce gender discrimination does exist. Increased participation of women in the labour market does not necessarily lead to an improvement in the welfare of women, or a resolution of traditional problems such as lower wages for equal work. A common pattern of development has been an improvement of conditions in the formal labour sector, while the informal sector, where women tend to be over-represented, is prevented from reaping the benefits by those already employed. Q. Does globalization promise benefits for the African continent? A. One of the many concerns over globalization is th
