Description
Globalisation opens up new economic opportunities if poor women producers and workers are enabled to take advantage of them. The need for assistance differs between independent producers on the one hand and wage workers in export industries on the other. In the former case, the need mainly is for increased access to global markets. In the latter case, the need mainly is for better organising so as to bargain for better wages and working conditions.
This edited volume brings together six case studies. Three link local producers with global markets: a cocoa cooperative in Ghana; an organic coconut oil producer in Samoa; and small enterprises in Mozambique. Three focus on improving the working conditions of wage workers in global value chains: those in the fruit exporting industry in South Africa; those in the garment export industry in Bangladesh; and those in the newly created call centres in India.
Each case study is written by a team of international and national researchers and aims to present decision makers with concrete examples which can spread the gains of globalisation to the working poor through shifting the balance of access, power and returns within global value chains.
Contents
Foreword
Introduction Marilyn Carr
Case Studies:
· From Tree-minders to Global Players: Cocoa Farmers in Ghana Pauline Tiffin, Jacqui MacDonald, Haruna Maamah and Frema Osei-Opare
· Tradition, Trade and Technology: Virgin Coconut Oil in Samoa John Cretney and Adimaimalaga Tafuna'i
· Cashing in on Cashew Nuts: Women Producers and Factory Workers in Mozambique Nazneen Kanji, Carin Vijfhuizen, Carla Braga and Luis Artur
· National Labour Legislation in an Informal Context: Women Workers in Export Horticulture in South Africa Stephanie Barrientos, Andrienetta Kritzinger and Hester Rossouw
· Rags, Riches and Women Workers: Export-oriented Garment Manufacturing in Bangladesh Naila Kabeer and Simeen Mahmud
· On the Threshold of Informalization: Women Call Centre Workers in India Swasti Mitter, Grace Fernandez and Shaiby Varghese
· The Trade Policy Context Sheila Page
· Lessons Learned Marilyn Carr
About the Contributors