Is Paid Work the (Only) Answer?: Neoliberalism, Arab Women's Well-Being, and the Social Contract

IS PAID WORK THE (ONLY) ANSWER? NEOLIBERALISM, ARAB WOMEN'S WELL-BEING, AND THE SOCIAL CONTRACT Jennifer C. Olmsted INTRODUCTION Akey concern of those interested in women's well-being is which factors determine women's economic conditions. Within the context of South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA),1 attention has been drawn to the low rates of paid employment among women (Moghadam and Khoury 1995; Olmsted 1999; World Bank 2004b), with the argument often being made that this is an indication ofwomen's "underutilization" and vulnerability . While not disagreeing that access to paid employment may create more options for women, following work by other feminist economists, in this paper I argue that concluding that increases in women's paid employment necessarily will be linked to an improvement in women's economic status is problematic, particularlygiven gender role expectations,which in turn lead to an asymmetrical distribution ofreproductive labor in SWANA (as well as elsewhere).A growing literature points out that paid employment for women is no panacea, either for women themselves or for society in general. Even when they enter paid employment, women often remain more economically vulnerable than men, not only because they face discrimination and exploitative work conditions, but also because societies continue to assign them the generally unremunerated economic role ofreproductive labor. An examination of the factors that shape the "social contract" and "safety nets" thus is needed, to gauge how the social contract addresses reproductive JOURNAL OF MIDDLE EAST WOMEN'S STUDIES VoL 1, No. 2 (Spring 2005). C 2005 JENNIFER C. OLMSTED es 113 contributions to the economy. In the context of SWANA I argue, as Moghadam (2003) and others also have done, that women generally have had to rely on the patriarchal family unit for their primary economic support. Government programs rarely have the objective of improving women's welfare directly, but certainly have played a role in improving women's lives in some instances while at the same time limiting women's economic choices.2 While far from ideal, I also argue that the patriarchal family has limited women's vulnerability to poverty. Current economic and social changes suggest, though, that this social contract is in the process of changing, both because of internal and external factors. The implications of these changes for women remain unclear. Increasing paid employment can be seen as one manifestation of a shift in how the social contract is understood, but cannot be assumed to be a sign that women's lives are improving. I begin the paper with a discussion of the types of statistics generally used by scholars and policy makers to gauge women's well-being and empowerment as well as discussing the limits of using such aggregate statistics. I then provide both a theoretical and an empirical discussion of the factors shaping the social contract, contrasting its development in SWANA with similar developments in the "West." A comparison with the West and particularly with the US, I argue is relevant not only to provide theoretical context, but also because neoliberal ideals are closely linked to the dominant economic ideology shaping US policies and that other countries are being urged to adopt as well. An examination ofvarious socioeconomic statistics and existing studies that shed light on the state ofwomen's economic well-being follows, with the conclusion being made that the statistical evidence tells a mixed, and incomplete , story. I conclude by arguing that far more research is needed about the status ofwomen, particularly vis-à-vis their power within the household. This information is particularly crucial now, as the social contract appears to be in transition and women's ability to rely on the family-based safety net may be increasingly uncertain. Yet, alternative, state-sponsored support structures are not being constructed to ensure that women's economic vulnerability doesn't increase and that they are able to contribute to the region, both in terms of reproductive and other forms of labor. MEASURING (WOMEN'S) WELL-BEING The well-being of a nation and its people is often defined in terms of a 114 es JOURNAL OF MIDDLE EAST WOMEN'S STUDIES number of socioeconomic indicators. These have included per capita Gross Domestic...