At the demand of the local groups during the mid-term evaluation of the project, we organised a new transnational webinar to better understand some concepts of Transformative Economies.
If Feminist Economies can constitute an alternative to the analyses of conventional economics and to the structural deficiencies of the current capitalist, heteropatriarchal and racist system, the notion of collective care can be a bit challenging to grasp.
Thanks to the contribution of two experts, the participants were able to learn more about Feminist Economies as a systemic tool to overcome our current economic and social system and also debate together after in small groups to confront their visions, from their own experiences, in an intercultural context.
Maria Atienza from REAS RED DE REDES depicted Feminist Economics in a new light, where economics doesn’t mean exploitation and revalorize reproductive work (feminisation of poverty):
- Economics is more than the market
- Work is all human activities that sustain life
- Care is at the center: if there is no care there is no life
- Gender is category of analysis: it does matter
- The socio-economy is a production-reproduction circuit in which there is paid and unpaid work
- The focus is not on markets but on the sustainability of life
Andrea Echevarria from RIPESS EUROPE advocated for a communitarian vision of care:
- Feminist economics is a real alternative and a critique against the capitalist system (individualism vs community)
- Care works as part of the sustainability of life – and its invisibilization
- Development of Human rights dedicated to care (Rights of caregivers and recipients)
- Social and Solidarity Economy as a driver of systematic change
- Impact of the pandemic and the role of SSE (Care crisis and SSE response)
- Precarization and feminization of work (advocating for better working conditions in the care economy, recognizance of the women in domestic tasks, …)
- Proposals for comprehensive care systems driven by SSE (Towards a fair care economy)
- Challenges and opportunities for structural changes (the rôle of SSE in economic transformation)
- Care, gender and environment-SSE in the climate crisis
Based on the inputs of these two contributors and their own reflexions, the participants have debated and shared ideas guided by three questions. Here is a brainstorm of all ideas and exchanges that occurred between the participants, messages of hope and empowerment!
-What do you think the feminist and care economy vision can contribute to the Global moment in which we find ourselves? (Multipolar crisis, wars etc)
“People are becoming more aware of reproductive work”
“Feminist economy as other TEs is a good way to redefine what is wealth, which could be social connections, health etc.”
“People mix up feminism with feminist economy and might not be inspired by it, it should not be seen as only concerning women because it addresses the concept of care in the whole society”
“Care work has unequal impact because it often falls on women, gaps in the former system filled with informal care labor and how feminist economy could take change that”
“Feminist economy is actually underlying all the other TEs since care is needed to have a human approach and replace profit as the main purpose”
-What does it mean to you to put care at the center of life rather than financial benefit?
“Young people are less and less thinking about earning money but about what they feel like doing”
“Work is not only about having a salary”
“An organic way of being in the world, not to exhaust oneself”
“Acknowledging vulnerable groups”
-How do you think feminist economics should be applied in a workspace/educational center?
“Hopefully [our educational game] The Change can help about people understand better about feminist economy and to reflect more about certain topics”