Evaluate the impacts of structural adjustment programmes on Women
INTRODUCTION Structural Adjustment Programmes have attracted much criticism over the years as to whether they have fallen short of the expectations in stimulating economic growth (Zuckerman 1991). ... In this essay, I would like to take a specific look at the effect that Structural Adjustment Programmes have had on women. As marginalised members of society to begin with, I was interested to see whether the Structural Adjustment Programmes served to increase this marginalism or not. STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT PROGRAMMES (http://www. ... org/guides/sap/) ‘Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAP’s) is the name given to a set of "free market" economic policy reforms imposed on developing countries by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund as a condition for the receipt of loans (Woods 2003). ... From electricity to education, including health care and water services Liberalising Trade and financial services – this is the abolition of foreign exchange controls and imports restrictions Reducing Public Expenditures usually within the Social Service IMPACTS ON WOMEN Most studies conclude that women are bearing a disproportionate share of the burdens imposed by SAP’s. ... Women, primarily responsible for child rearing, are heavily dependent on health services; this, combined with their very limited access to productive resources, places them at a particular disadvantage when public spending on health is reduced. ... This leaves women with little support and marginal land and fewer resources to grow food crops for their familys consumption. Compensatory programmes have been put in place recently as an attempt to alleviate the impact of SAP’s on the poor, but they tend to bypass women. Most structural adjustment programs, in fact, are designed around the assumption that women (and children) are dependents of men. Since compensatory programs are based on existing channels of distribution within communities and households, and since these channels often discriminate against women, they will never have any real access to any new resources received through them (Woods 2003).