As with the wide variety of feminist theories, the anti-globalization debate represents a plethora of ideological and political positions not inherently tied to any single issue or event. Globalization has not been revolutionary in terms of its capability to overcome the negative aspects of traditional society, but merely expands and entrenches previous forms of exploitation and oppression. For this reason, the link between anti-globalization and feminism is particularly strong as gender/sex based inequalities have taken a turn for the worst, with economic globalization not meeting its emancipatory potential advocated by the neo-liberal soothsayers. As such, a powerful feminist critique is needed now more than ever; the limited gains achieved by women in the Western nations over the past fifty years have not been universal.
Interestingly enough, some of the most prominent faces in the anti-globalization
movement in Canada are women: Maude Barlow, Anna Dashtgard, Naomi Klein, Elizabeth
May, Francoise Davide, Dianne Matte, and Monique Simard are just a few. The
World March of Women, the National Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC-CCA),
and the Quebec Women’s Federation, just to name a few, are some coalitions
of women’s groups that have transcended the scope of feminist critique
beyond national borders and have been confronting the daunted patriarchial,
economic, and militaristic forces which are responsible for the repression of
women world-wide Since globalization has shown itself to negatively impact the
most oppressed and marginalized groups in society, women and children in particular
have been the hardest hit. From deplorable labour conditions in factories that
justify paying women and children less for their work than men, to religious
and cultural practices that objectify and demean women (such as laws that punish
women in the case of rape, forcing a certain dress-code, prostitution, etc.),
feminism has an inherent tie with anti-globalization.
Radical Anarchist Mom and
Baby League
Mariarose Dalla Costa
Vandana Shiva
Chandra Mohanty
NAC-CCA (National Action Committee) (http://www.nac-cca.ca/)
World March of Women 2000 (http://www.canada.marchofwomen.org/)
Herizons (http://www.herizons.ca/)
Associations for Women’s Rights in Development (http://www.awid.org/)
Women’s Global Charter (http://www.marchemondiale.org/en/charte/charter-en.pdf)