A feminist approach to debt

The document examines the intersection of debt, capitalism, and patriarchy in Africa, arguing that neoliberal debt architectures and austerity measures externalise the costs of social reproduction onto women. It highlights how sovereign debt crises lead to cuts in public services, which in turn drives households toward predatory private lending and microfinance. The author calls for a systemic reform of the global financial architecture, including debt relief without conditionalities, progressive domestic resource mobilisation, and stricter regulation of predatory lending to protect vulnerable populations.

• The document argues that debt in Africa is not merely a financial crisis but a structural issue at the intersection of capitalism and patriarchy, where neoliberal policies have led to 'policy externalization' and the transfer of state provisioning burdens to households, with women bearing the disproportionate cost.
• Historical Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) implemented by International Financial Institutions (IFIs) in the 1980s and 1990s exacerbated gender inequalities by cutting social spending on health and education, which increased the burden of unpaid care work for women and girls.

APA

Sibeko, B. (2022). A feminist approach to debt. African Forum and Network on Debt and Development. https://afrodad.org/sites/default/files/publications/A%20feminist%20approach%20to%20debt_Final_BS-spread_0%20%281%29.pdf

Chicago

Sibeko, Busi. A feminist approach to debt. African Forum and Network on Debt and Development, 2022. https://afrodad.org/sites/default/files/publications/A%20feminist%20approach%20to%20debt_Final_BS-spread_0%20%281%29.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sibeko |first1=Busi |title=A feminist approach to debt |publisher=African Forum and Network on Debt and Development |date=2022 |url=https://afrodad.org/sites/default/files/publications/A%20feminist%20approach%20to%20debt_Final_BS-spread_0%20%281%29.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sibeko2022feminist, author = {Sibeko, Busi}, title = {{A feminist approach to debt}}, institution = {African Forum and Network on Debt and Development}, year = {2022}, url = {https://afrodad.org/sites/default/files/publications/A%20feminist%20approach%20to%20debt_Final_BS-spread_0%20%281%29.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }