Feminist Proposals on Macroeconomic Policies needed for a COVID-19 Economic Recovery

The document critiques orthodox macroeconomic policies for ignoring social reproduction and gendered power dynamics, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. It argues that neoliberal austerity and financialisation have undermined public services and increased the burden of unpaid care on women. The authors propose a recovery based on a 'feminist green economy,' increased fiscal space through progressive taxation and debt cancellation, and a shift toward a social reproductive economy that prioritises basic income and universal access to essential services.

• Orthodox macroeconomic policies in Africa, influenced by IMF and World Bank Structural Adjustment Programmes since the 1980s, prioritise market-led growth and fiscal discipline, which minimizes the state's role as a provider of public goods and often relies on regressive tax policies.
• Mainstream economic indicators like GDP are insufficient because they fail to capture the essential role of reproductive activities and household production in stabilizing economies, which are predominantly performed by women.
• The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated gender inequalities in Africa, as lockdowns increased the burden of unpaid care work and disproportionately affected women in the informal economy, who are often excluded from formal policy responses.
• African governments face a severe fiscal crisis characterized by high debt-to-GDP ratios and a reliance on private sector debt, which limits their capacity to fund social protection and public services.
• Trade liberalisation and agreements like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) may perpetuate a 'race to the bottom' in labour regulations and reduce government revenues, potentially leading to more regressive taxation that harms women.
• National recovery plans in countries like South Africa and Nigeria have been critiqued for continuing a market-centered approach, prioritising private sector infrastructure investment over the structural transformation of the economy toward sustainable, labour-intensive industries.

APA

Sibeko, B., Phalatse, S., & Ossome, L. (2021). Feminist Proposals on Macroeconomic Policies needed for a COVID-19 Economic Recovery. Institute for Economic Justice. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/FeministMacroeconomicPolicies-Briefing.pdf

Chicago

Sibeko, Busi, Sonia Phalatse, and Lyn Ossome. Feminist Proposals on Macroeconomic Policies needed for a COVID-19 Economic Recovery. Institute for Economic Justice, 2021. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/FeministMacroeconomicPolicies-Briefing.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sibeko |first1=Busi |last2=Phalatse |first2=Sonia |last3=Ossome |first3=Lyn |title=Feminist Proposals on Macroeconomic Policies needed for a COVID-19 Economic Recovery |publisher=Institute for Economic Justice |date=June 2021 |url=https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/FeministMacroeconomicPolicies-Briefing.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sibeko2021feminist, author = {Sibeko, Busi and Phalatse, Sonia and Ossome, Lyn}, title = {{Feminist Proposals on Macroeconomic Policies needed for a COVID-19 Economic Recovery}}, institution = {Institute for Economic Justice}, year = {2021}, month = jun, url = {https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/FeministMacroeconomicPolicies-Briefing.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }