The Social Content of Macroeconomic Policies

This article does not expressly discuss human rights or international law, but does provide suggestions on how to analyze both national and international economic policies from a gender perspective and why this is important. The authors argue for a transformatory approach to macroeconomic policy, which rethinks macroeconomics in order to incorporate gender-equitable social policy. The authors discuss three biases found in macroeconomic policies, evidenced through the policies of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, which reinforce the social and economic marginalization of women. In conclusion, the authors stress the importance of social relations in developing effective policies and argue for a more participatory approach to economic policy development. The Canadian Alternative Federal Budget is offered an example of such an approach.