Abstract

PIP: This paper examines how and to what extent gender relations can become more favorable to women of countries undergoing economic development with a globalized perspective. The study also briefly reviews past debates on the interactions between market forces and women's subordination and links them with the current dynamics as revealed by a comparative analysis of the country studies. This paper has three parts: 1) revisits the earlier theoretical discussions in order to contextualize the questions that are raised; 2) highlights some features of women's experiences of economic development in these countries; and 3) is a quantitative measure of the present position of gender relations in each of these countries against the background of their experience of economic development. To assume that women are the most flexible section of the labor force also shows a lack of understanding of the various forces that affect gender countries. In Asian countries, capital has seldom challenged the existing patriarchal traditions, instead it has harnessed them to its own benefit. However, gender relations have changed to an extent in the households, through state intervention and through women's own changing perceptions. Finally, the author has constructed an index of patriarchy which shows that while development does improve women's gender position, it is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for that.