Feminist Philosophy of Economics

Simone de Beauvoir argued in her book "The Second Sex" that the division of labor between men and women is a social construct that is maintained through cultural norms and institutions.

Domestic labor, reproductive labor, and care work are all terms used to describe the unpaid labor that women typically perform in the home, such as cooking, cleaning, childcare, and eldercare. This labor is essential for the functioning of the economy, as it allows men to participate in paid work outside the home.

Heidi Hartmann argued in her book "The Unhappy Marriage of Marxism and Feminism" that the gender wage gap is due to the fact that women are concentrated in low-paying jobs, such as clerical work, service work, and retail sales.

Situated rationality is a term used to describe the idea that women's economic decision-making is often constrained by their social and cultural roles. For example, women may be more likely to choose jobs that are compatible with their family responsibilities, even if these jobs pay less than jobs that are more demanding.

Maria Mies argued in her book "Patriarchy and Accumulation on a World Scale" that the global economy is structured in a way that benefits men at the expense of women. She argues that the international division of labor, which assigns women to low-paid jobs in the global South, is a form of patriarchal exploitation.

Economic feminism is a term used to describe the idea that women's economic empowerment is essential for achieving gender equality. Economic feminists argue that women need to have equal access to education, employment, and financial resources in order to achieve full equality with men.

Carol Gilligan argued in her book "In a Different Voice" that the concept of "rationality" is gendered and that women's rationality is often devalued. She argues that women's rationality is more relational and contextual than men's rationality, and that this difference is often seen as a deficit.

The undervaluation of women's work is a term used to describe the idea that women's economic contributions are often undervalued and invisible. This can be seen in the fact that women are often paid less than men for the same work, and that women's unpaid labor in the home is often not counted as economically productive.

Nancy Folbre argued in her book "Who Pays for the Kids?" that the concept of "efficiency" is gendered and that it often favors men over women. She argues that the efficiency of the market economy is often measured in terms of GDP, which does not take into account the unpaid labor that women perform in the home.

The women's empowerment dividend is a term used to describe the idea that women's economic empowerment can lead to positive outcomes for their families and communities. This can include improved health and education outcomes for children, increased household income, and reduced poverty.