Worker Reproduction Research Articles

Representation of gender images of female military in the Ukrainian media

Based on developments in gender sociology, the theoretical foundations of patriarchal and egalitarian approaches to gender images via analysis of gender roles are defined. The patriarchal approach to gender roles is based on biological determinism and essentialism and creates a clear division into male and female roles that are often opposed. Appealing to the principles of sociobiology, this approach involves the gendered division of labor laid down into gender-role stereotypes; assigning different psychological and behavioral characteristics to women and men with the help of gender traits and a gendered perception of appearance. Accordingly, the main attributes of femininity are attachment to reproductive and caring work; softness and emotionality, and a canonically attractive appearance. The increase in the number of female military personnel since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion has led to an increase in their visibility in the media, which can be considered an egalitarian trend.The empirical basis of the article is a qualitative content analysis of selected 48 media materials published in the period from February 24, 2022, to April 25, 2024, which contain references to the participation of female military personnel in the Russo-Ukrainian war.Quotes conveying gender-role stereotypes, appearance stereotypes, and gender trait stereotypes were coded within the patriarchal approach. Gender-role stereotypes manifested themselves in narratives about the traditional division of roles, the exoticization of female military personnel, benevolent sexism, and protective paternalism toward military women.Within the framework of the egalitarian approach, two strategies were considered: gender neutrality and gender sensitivity. In the framework of the first, the identity of the “military person” came to the fore, as opposed to the gender identity. In the materials of the sample, this was reflected both in the phrases of the heroines that “there are no men and women at the front”, and from the side of the media, which used similar phrases for the titles of the materials. When applying the strategy of gender sensitivity, women in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) were discursively singled out in a separate category, in particular, on behalf of the media. It was said that women in the army occupy various positions, both rear and combat, and this is not an anomaly or an exception to the rules. At the same time, the issue of the fact that women face certain challenges (access to military equipment is still quite limited) and have unmet needs, such as the lack of women’s uniforms, equipment, and limitations in personal hygiene, was brought up.

Features of the dynamics of the reproductive cycle of female reindeer in the taiga and tundra zones

Reindeer remains one of the least studied animals from the point of view of genetics and reproduction of all animals that are use by humans in economic activities. In Russia, reindeer is use as a farm animal to produce environmentally friendly meat with high nutritional value. Reindeer is also the basis of economic activity for the indigenous peoples of the Arctic. Depending on the climatic zone, there are two methods of breeding reindeer - tundra and taiga. For more effective breeding and planning of reproduction work of this species of animals, it is necessary to have clear knowledge about the features of their reproductive cycle. Reindeer are animals with a pronounced seasonal reproduction; in addition, the timing of calving and rutting season can shift significantly depending on changes in weather conditions. According to researchers, the gestation period of northern females has a very high variability. The aim of this work was to conduct research on the differences in the timing of the beginning and end of the calving and rutting periods, their dynamics, as well as the duration of pregnancy in female reindeer in reindeer herding farms in the taiga and tundra climatic zones. To compare the dynamics and timing of calving and rutting, data were collected on the recording of matings and calvings in reindeer herding farms in the tundra zone of the Arctic regions of the Russian Federation (Taimyr Peninsula and Yamal Peninsula) and in the taiga zone (Buryatia). Because of the research, it was found that not only the timing of the rut, but also the timing of calving have differences in time in the tundra and taiga habitat zones of reindeer, in addition, they can shift even within the same climatic zone depending on weather conditions. The pregnancy period under unfavorable weather conditions can be shorten or extend.

Platforms mediating domestic care work as service gigs in European cities: Reorganisation of social reproduction through marketisation

In European cities, lean labour platforms increasingly mediate domestic service gigs related to social reproduction, such as food delivery and cleaning tasks on-demand. This fast-growing type of platform depends on spatial proximity and the population density of cities, economic relations enabled by digital technologies and embodied gendered and racialised norms. At the same time, platforms are linked to the crisis of social reproduction and to a constant supply of people in precarious positions looking for income. The paper tackles the question how platform-mediated service gigs related to grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning change caring relationships. This comprises considerations of the dimensions of marketisation and the transformation of reproductive work symbolically, materially, and socially and is presented with a feminist perspective pointing to social reproduction as an essential but devalued part of everyday life. These endeavours are explored with findings from various case studies dealing with food delivery and cleaning platforms in Austria and Germany and are discussed with reference to relational care ethics. Put forward here is a reflection on the ways in which digital mediation of domestic care work relies on gendered and racialised norms – and how this dependence intensifies structural inequalities inherent to social reproduction.

Class and Gender in Older People Care in Rural Yogyakarta

This article explores care arrangements for older people in rural Yogyakarta, comparing and contrasting the experiences of older people in three agrarian classes: significant landowners, petty commodity producers and ‘classes of labour’. The study was conducted in two villages in Kulon Progo and Sleman Regencies. Qualitative interviews, observations, life histories and information on the changing social and economic contexts are used to analyse older people’s roles in social reproduction, the dynamics of intergenerational dependency, and the practicesof older-people care. We found great variation in the age at which engagement in productive and reproductive work declines and people enter the state of dependency. Older people may be receivers, or providers of care for younger dependents. As older people live longer, complex tri- and even quadri-generational care arrangements become more common. Class, gender and intergenerational relations shape care relations and practices. State and community programmes for older people, when functioning properly, can be of great importance to poorer households,even though the access is uneven and they do not always match older people’s care needs. Commodified (purchased) care provision is found in some relatively prosperous households, but rarely in the ‘classes of labour’, the landless and near-landless peasants, and worker households that make up the majority of the population.

Punjabi “housewives” in central Italy: navigating patriarchy, labor exploitation, and welfare exclusion

Who benefits from the exploitation of women’s work, and how? Marxist feminists in the 1970s–1980s and recently theorists of Social Reproduction argued that women’s work is exploited twice, or “super-exploited,” by capital and patriarchy. Such “super-exploitation” is sustained by the process of “housewifization,” which legitimizes the extraction and accumulation of surplus value from the social reproductive work of women. The housewife ideology not only mystifies social reproductive work as natural — thereby legitimizing it as free — but also frames women’s productive work as marginal — thereby legitimizing it as cheaper and more precarious. Building on Maria Mies’ (1981) famous study of women lacemakers in India, where the devaluation of women’s work is shown to serve both capital and patriarchy, I analyze the experiences of Punjabi “housewives” in central Italy, exploring them through the lens of one family and specifically its youngest and eldest daughters, whom I interviewed during ethnographic fieldwork. I show how, despite the essential role played by these women in their family mobility project, the housewife ideology — together with other patriarchal constructs of honor and caste endogamy — obscures the value of their social reproductive and productive work and imposes a number of restrictions on their freedom. I find, further, that their super-exploitation is aggravated in the context of migration: the labor exploitation and welfare exclusion that they face in Italy due to the country’s exclusionary immigration regime and unregulated capitalist market complicate their chances to challenge the oppressive relations they are involved in.

For Whom Does One Toil? Time Use Differentials, Social Reproduction, and Occupational Prestige

Social reproduction theory builds upon Marxist theories that center on the extent to which labor power is the source of capital’s growth through the exploitation of the working class, providing a unique lens for analyzing how labor power differences may contribute to structural inequity. While research has shown that women and girls are primarily responsible for the majority of unpaid reproductive labor, little research has considered how time spent in unpaid work may also vary by social class position. We utilize nationally representative data from the American Time Use Survey to estimate time use differentials across occupational prestige deciles, separately by gender, to address this question. We find that higher occupational prestige is significantly associated with less time spent on unpaid household labor for women, but not for men. Our results highlight the complex nature of unpaid reproductive work under capitalism, emphasizing the importance of considering social class positions when examining inequities in the unpaid work burden.

O feminino em disputa: a aliança neoliberal-conservadora nos discursos do Ministério da Mulher, Família e dos Direitos Humanos no governo Bolsonaro

This paper analyzes how the former Ministry of Women, Family and Human Rights, under Jair Bolsonaro's government (2019-2022), constructed discourses around the social roles reserved for women and naturalized by patriarchy, especially about care, space private sector, education and reproductive work. Starting from a discussion that considers the neoliberal-conservative alliance, in which the ministry's representative, Damares Alves, appears as one of the greatest representatives of Bolsonarism, we seek to explore the effects of meaning produced by the discourses linked to the ministry's public policies. Based on feminist theory and studies of the rise of the extreme right, we analyzed the former minister Damares Alves’ discourses between the years 2019-2021, her performance in order to understand the impact of such an alliance on women during what It has been called Bolsonarism. As one of the main results, we realize that the paving of authoritarian governments is totally intertwined with the place that women occupy in this model of society, therefore, anti-feminism becomes evident.

Rentier capitalism, social reproduction, and the limits of liberalism: mapping gendered asset value in Kuwait

ABSTRACT This paper introduces the concept of citizenship rent to help explain the apparently contradictory coexistence of liberalising economic reforms and the entrenchment of patriarchal values. Citizenship rent (CR) is defined as the financial flows that move from the state to the citizen in the form of entitlements, employment, and access to state-subsidised goods, labour and business opportunities. Our innovative proposal substitutes transaction cost economics’ assumption of market selection for a selection by patriarchy to show how gender plays a central role in the reproduction of the asset specificities that increase transaction costs. This illustrates how an extractive, asset-based economy, like Kuwait's, can afford to double down on conservative social values, even at a considerable fiscal price, as long as the transaction costs of getting oil to the international markets are not increased through social disruption or political uncertainty. Rather than examining how women’s social reproductive work subsidises social and political stability, CR reveals women’s role in sustaining assets valuable to the state. This paper demonstrates that a close examination of the social values that inhibit transactions can also reveal patriarchal structures in rentier capital and exhibit a need to further analyse the patriarchal transaction costs that shape and sustain societies.

Sexual violence against liberian school girls: White benevolence, anti-black racism, and colonial continuities in post conflict recovery

This article addresses the practices of white benevolence as it (re)produces anti-Black racism in the post-conflict country of Liberia. This is undertaken through an analysis of the ProPublica documentary “Unprotected” which chronicles sexual violence against Liberian girls at the More Than Me Academy, linked to the broader practices of gendered colonialism and racism. More than Me was founded in 2008 by Katie Meyler, a young, white American woman, to save Liberian school girls from sexual exploitation by providing them with educational opportunities; but the school became a hunting ground for sexual gender-based violence for which those in charge claimed ignorance. Katie Meyler and More than Me can be placed in the longer, iterative history of colonialism that unfold(ed) in discourses and practices of white benevolence such that structural forms of anti-Black violence are both obscured and tolerated. Furthermore, the article addresses the social reproductive work undertaken by Liberian women, especially those who were at the forefront of mass protests to end the civil war (1989-2003), and who continue to prioritize education and gender equality, viewed as central to sustainable peace and transitional justice.

From Xenofeminism to Domestic Realism: Some Notes on Helen Hester’s Writings Post-Laboria Cuboniks

This paper discusses the recent texts of Helen Hester, a contemporary feminist theorist, in relation to the writings of Laboria Cuboniks, a feminist collective she was a member of. On the one hand, I critically discuss some of the main concepts underlying xenofeminism, a contemporary strand of feminism revolving around the refunctionalization of technology and the introduction of neo-rationalist tenets in feminist thought, developed by the collective Laboria Cuboniks in their 2015 Xenofeminist Manifesto. On the other hand, I want to propose that some of the shortcomings of these initial xenofeminist concepts are solved in the separate writings of one of the collective’s members, Helen Hester. I begin by situating xenofeminism in the context of left-accelerationism, a philosophy upon which they build their theoretical framework, comprising ontological anti-naturalism, neo-rationalism and a counter-hegemonic approach to politics. Then, I introduce the two key terms I engage from xenofeminism, hyperstition and technology, and demonstrate how Hester nuances their usage in her own works. Finally, I use the term mesopolitics to define Hester’s overall recent project and to help situate it in wider debates surrounding post-work politics and reproductive work.

REKONSTRUKSI PERAN PEREMPUAN DALAM REVOLUSI INDUSTRI MELALUI SUMBER-SUMBER TERTULIS

This research is motivated by the phenomenon of the development of the role of women in the industrial revolution sector. Although the role of women has a huge impact in Indonesia, there are still various challenges that must be faced in strengthening the potential role of women in the Industrial Revolution era. This research method uses a case study with a qualitative approach. This research uses purposive sampling method and data collection techniques such as in-depth interviews with resource persons. The results in this study show that nowadays there have been many considerable changes in work activities, especially for productive work in addition to reproductive/domestic work. Women have been involved in many productive jobs or work for a living. However, women's involvement in income-generating work activities still appears to be closely related to the existing employment structure in society. As in production, there are generally different assessments of men's work and women's work, especially with regard to technology. Since technology is often patriarchal, men tend to have more access to it than women. However, there has been a shift in work roles from women doing reproductive work to productive work. Women are starting to do more agricultural work, large and small industries and various fields of development that produce economic value.

P-486 Listening to the needs of 18-25 year olds for information and prevention to reverse the trend of infertility

Abstract Study question What information and education are needed and by what means can young people be made aware of their future fertility ? Summary answer Young adults are looking for concrete answers about fertility. They want answers from reliable sources, especially health care professionals. What is known already Fertility education has already been implemented in various forms (website, assessment and advice clinic, study program) in some countries (1). Studies (2,3) such as show satisfactory effectiveness in terms of both knowledge and awareness among target populations. In France, fertility education is booming. Action plans are drawn up to adapt information (influence of age, risk factors, Assisted Human Reproduction techniques ART) (4) and prevention to best protect fertility. Study design, size, duration A quantitative study was carried out among 450 young adults from October 2O22 to February 2023. 3 interviews were achieved out beforehand to enrich the questionnaire’s response options, with the aim of satisfying all participants, whatever their social, professional or educational status. An anonymous 4-part form asked about their socio-demographic criteria, their fertility needs and how they would like to be informed. The final optional section was used to identify less familiar concepts. Participants/materials, setting, methods In our study, 350 participants were women (77,8%), 94 men (20,9%), 5 non-binary and 1 transgender. 63,4% women were students and 60,6% in couples and more then half of the men were students (63,8%), single (57,4%). Non-binary and transgender people can not statistically included in the results.The questionnaire was circulated on social networks. Results were collected on LimeSurvey storage software, then statistics were performed and interpreted via Numbers and BiostatTGV. Main results and the role of chance Whether they’re students or salaried employees, women need more information about fertility than men. And that men feel remote from the subject. Indeed, women want to know more about how the male and female reproductive systems work (60,9%), how to spot the warning signs of infertility risk (65,8%), the different ART techniques and their limits (51,6%), and the role of lifestyle on reproductive health (61,4%). Conversely, student men want to learn how to spot the warning signs of infertility risk (52,9%), and are concerned about infertility figures (55,9%). There is a difference with employed men, who only wish to learn about the functioning of the male and female reproductive systems (66,7%). The responses on the means of raising awareness about fertility do not allow us to conclude that one method is more effective than another in informing them. By ranking, we find awareness days at 80,6% for women and 60,5% for men. Then there’s the use of reliable websites at 77,8% for women and 58% for men. In third place for both genders are medical consultations with 72,5% for women and 56,8% for men. These results are similar for students and employees. Limitations, reasons for caution As the survey was voluntary, the people who responded were those were most interested in the subject. Moreover, women are over-represented in our sample, as are students. A French university has around 43% female students and 35% male students, compared with 63% of both genders in our study. Wider implications of the findings A “plan” to combat infertility was recently announced by the French government. Our results will be used to guide the campaign’s stakeholders on how to raise awareness among 18-25 year-olds, and in particular on the various means to be put in place to make it a success. Trial registration number 2022-250

Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Algorithm Performance in Predicting Stunting in Toddlers

Stunting is a condition where the growth of children and toddlers is stunted, which causes children to be shorter than they should be. In the long term, stunting can reduce reproductive health, study concentration, and work productivity, thereby causing significant state losses. The prevalence of stunting in Indonesia, which is still above 20 percent, shows that there are still chronic nutritional problems among toddlers. To prevent this from happening, identification as early as possible can be done using machine learning for predictions. The aim of this research is to conduct a comparative analysis of the performance of machine learning algorithms for predicting stunting in toddlers. Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbors, and Extreme Gradient Boosting are the algorithms that are compared for their performance. The performance of each algorithm is measured using evaluation matrices such as accuracy, precision, recall, and f1-score. The research method starts with data collection, data preprocessing, data splitting, application of machine learning algorithms, evaluation of algorithm performance, and comparison of results. The performance evaluation matrix measurement results show that Random Forest has an accuracy of 99.95%, precision of 99.89%, recall of 99.94%, and f1-score of 99.91%. K-Nearest Neighbors has an accuracy of 99.93%, precision of 99.87%, recall of 99.88%, and f1-score of 99.88%. Meanwhile, Extreme Gradient Boosting has an accuracy of 99.36%, precision of 98.86%, recall of 98.95%, and f1-score of 98.90%. From the results of all performance evaluation matrices, it can be concluded that the random forest algorithm is the best algorithm for predicting stunting in toddlers.

Gender analysis in selected agricultural practices in Gedeo and Halaba zones in Southern Ethiopia

Identification and recognition of gender-dis aggregated constraints, gender imbalances, differentials in gender roles, and decision-making on agriculture production, technology transfer, and input utilization are essential to the transformation of research output to benefit women and men. This study aimed to assess gender integration in selected agricultural practices and gender division of labor in the Gedeo and Halaba Zones. The study employed a cross-sectional design. The sample respondents were randomly 86 men and 69 women farmers, and a total of 155 farmers were selected to collect the data through triangulation of key informants interviews, focus group discussion, and household survey. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Data analysis results in the frequency of men and women's participation computed. Different gender participation factors evaluated. According to the data analysis result, the effect of community norms was assessed among 155 respondents, men 54 (34.8%), 0 (0%), and 15 (9.7%), responded as yes, no and undecided, respectively. Similarly, women participants believed that 64 (41.9%), 1 (0.6%), and 36 (23.2%), responded as yes, no and undecided, respectively. Decision-making could affect gender participation. Men 66 (42.6%), 1 (0.6%) and 20 (12.9%) responded as yes, no and undecided, respectively. Likewise, women participants believed that 53 (34.2%), 1 (0.6%) and 15 (9.7%), responded as yes, no, and undecided, respectively. Concerning care workmen 65 (41.9%), 0 (0%) and 21 (135%), responded as yes, no and undecided, respectively. Similarly, women participants believed that 54 (34.8%), 0 (0%) and 15 (9.7%), responded yes, no and undecided, respectively. Average task share of the household is 30%, 15%, 43% and 12% for men, boys, women and girls, respectively. Women and men performed a larger share of the gender role in rural households than boys and girls. The reproductive work of women in the household covered 67% of the total household care work. The gender participation index in selected agricultural practices was 0.709. However, the Participation Index of men was found to be 0.55 and that of women was 0.45. According to this statistical result, household members spent agricultural labor hours differently, as converting this labor share into daily labor hours indicated that women, men, boys, and girls are spending 10, 7, 4 and 3 hours per day on average, respectively. Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 14(1): 1-9, June 2024

The Global Care Chain: Analyzing the Increasing Feminization of Care Work Across Borders

With the rise in globalization, there has been an increase in migration, specifically labor migration. Women migrating to perform care labor has exploded after women formally entered the global labor market. Although many female migrants are independently traveling as the primary breadwinners of their households, they remain underappreciated, invisible, under-waged, and exploited. Upon relocating from countries in the global south to conduct care work in more affluent nations or communities, they leave their dependents behind, ultimately in the care of another female, typically a family member, or yet another more impoverished woman. At this point, the global care chain is not a single, linear chain but rather an intersecting one composed of numerous chains that multiple women become a part of. Therefore these intersections between the public and private, the paid and unpaid, and the productive and reproductive forms of care work are present. In addition, although globalization and neoliberal policy have benefited <i>some</i> women globally, it has dramatically made women who migrate for global care work and labor suffer. When women migrate, the global care chain often becomes an entire phenomenon through which many things intersect. On the one hand, we witness capitalism, feminization of migration, globalization, and neoliberalism interacting while also intersecting with care, emotional work, and gender relations. The goal of this paper is to examine and connect the intersectional effects on women by examining global care work in Asia and Latin America. In addition, we ask the following questions: How can we create change so that women's work is no longer invisible? How can we build a society where individuals are esteemed not just on monetized work but also on reproductive work? Will reproductive labor ever be considered labor? And finally, we will propose some preliminary solutions to begin framing steps forward.

A taxonomy of business models of digital care platforms in Spain

AbstractIn the last few years, the proliferation of digital labour platforms has led to the transformation of business models and labour relations in an increasing number of economic activities, including highly feminized and informal traditional sectors, such as care and domestic work. Drawing on an analysis of 37 digital care platforms in Spain, this research compares the distinctive features and structural power dynamics they engender, and it constructs a taxonomy of business models of these care platforms. By analysing the main features of their operational models, we are capable of distinguishing three main types of platforms: marketplace, on‐demand, and digital placement agencies. First, the paper argues that the distinctive features of each digital platform business model have differentiated impacts on working conditions in terms of access to tasks, remuneration, flexibility and means of control. This differentiation allows us to understand what is transformative and what is continuous in platforms' precarization or formalisation of care work and working conditions of carers, mainly women and migrants. Each business model has its differentiated outcomes in terms of labour control and reorganization of women's and migrants' reproductive work. Second, more broadly, while digital care platforms may have contributed to facilitating workers' access to jobs, reducing transaction costs and standardising processes, this has often been through the creation of more flexible and insecure forms of work and to increased market pressures. Therefore, this study contributes to existing research addressing the degree of formalization of labour relations in digital platform work through a nuanced analysis of their business models.

Processes of Autonomy of Craftsmen Women Who Produce Ceramics in the Rural Context of Noreste Mexiquense

Objective: This study aims to recognize the situation of gender inequality of the artisan women of Santa María Canchesdá, Temascalcingo in the northeast of the State of Mexico. Theoretical Framework: Based on analysis categories of gender, territory and crafts. Method: In this study, the qualitative case study approach with a gender perspective was used, using field research techniques such as participant observation and in-depth semi-structured interviews. Results and Discussion: The results show that the participation of women in the ceramic making process is central to the local economy, but also, rural women artisans with their work have initiated processes of autonomy that would be repositioning them against the men of the community. Implications of the Research: It seeks to identify the real participation that women have in the social reproduction of their artisan homes and the expansion of the activity in the community. Originality/Value: Expand the literature on women potters, regarding the productive and reproductive work they carry out, through empirical evidence of their daily work both in pottery and ceramist workshops and at home, especially in indigenous localities.

Bridging Reproductive and Productive Work: The Case of Surrogates in California

ABSTRACT In this article, we explore the perspectives of commercial gestational surrogates in California, USA. Women who gestate for others reveal themselves as important agents in the process of giving meaning and cultural legitimacy to their practice, thus demonstrating their capacity to act in their own interest and resignify their work in their own terms. To them, surrogacy is more than wage labor. They assert the importance of their experience as a source of professional skills, downplaying its monetary value and placing it within favorable moral frameworks, thus finding cultural legitimacy. In doing so, they bridge the divide between traditional female reproductive work (unpaid emotional, relational, and care work) and productive work (paid professional work in the public sphere). They achieve this without subverting the underlying values of western kinship. The results shed light on employability and entrepreneurship of surrogates in the fertility industry of California.

“We don’t want to be accused of being feminists”. A gender equality measure for leadership positions and the perpetuation of patriarchal arrangements

This article seeks to understand the effects produced by a gender equality measure founded on a career-advancement approach to equality, by scrutinising a managerial control process introduced by the women’s network of a large SBF120 firm to promote women’s representation in leadership positions. Through a qualitative study, and drawing on the work of Acker, we uncover the mechanisms through which action designed to bring more women into leadership positions sustains, and masks, the perpetuation of the surrounding inegalitarian structure. We show that the assumptions underlying such processes – approaching equality through the ideas of career advancement and a better work/life balance for women, and as good for financial performance – reflect patriarchal arrangements – the male worker pursuing self-maximisation, women as complementary to men, women as the principal subjects of reproductive work. Those patriarchal arrangements are then perpetuated through the effects of the related managerial control process. We highlight how it is difficult for the women heading this process to escape the career-advancement view of equality, because it is entrenched in organisational and societal structures that place constraints on the design of the control system. We thus contribute to the accounting literature on gender equality measures 1/ by underlining that the measure studied cannot challenge the status quo because it is constructed by, and locked into, a patriarchal, elitist arrangement; 2/ by arguing that a managerial control process intended to advance women’s representation in leadership positions creates a “blind spot” in the gender equality measure; 3/ by uncovering the “destructive power” of a managerial control process, which lies in its tendency to sap any possibility of understanding the problem structurally, but also in its propensity to wipe out the ability to imagine alternative ways of living and working that differ from the patriarchal arrangements on which our social order is founded.

The geography of women’s informal entrepreneurial activities in urban Zambia: place, mobility and locational decision-making

Informal entrepreneurship constitutes an essential source of income for women in sub-Saharan Africa. Research has indicated the importance of location to the productivity of informal enterprises, yet we know little about the geography of African women’s entrepreneurial activities and associated decision-making. This article studies how female slum dwellers in Lusaka organise their entrepreneurial activities spatially and how they justify associated locational choices. The study found a substantial variety in spatial arrangements although proximity to the home often took precedence over other business-related considerations. The ability to overcome or take advantage of geography when carrying out business was clearly bound up in wider relationships pertaining to gender, poverty and regulatory frameworks. Important factors contributing to satisfying business-related locational needs included a strong intra-household bargaining position, the ability to outsource reproductive work, social networks, access to financial resources and uneven regulation of space in the residential settlement. This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0 .