The Emergence of Neoliberalized Feminism: An Examination of Gender Dynamics, Gender Equality Initiatives and 'Business Power' in Global Governance

The deepening of neoliberalism and rapid growth of globalization has seen more private institutions cultivate spaces for themselves through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects in realms of social change and positive impact that have traditionally been reserved for public agencies. The ever-increasing overlap of private and public has seen public and private actors increasingly engage in shared projects often with shared and coinciding objectives. In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, stimulated by this growing trend of public-private cooperation, a politico-economic project emerged in response to the failing economy, and as a means of advancing gender equality and unearthing new points of profitability through women for transnational corporations. In light of these developments, the dissertation project asks: “How are the gender equality programs, initiatives and policies engineered through what feminists have characterized as “Neoliberalized Feminism” empowering, and how are they reshaping the subjectivities of on the ground where the programs are implemented?” Although some research has explored the emergence of public-private partnerships (PPPs) and the growing relationship between development and business, there is a research gap that exists when it comes to the effects of these public-private programs on women’s lives and on gender equality. Also, since much of the feminist critique of neoliberalism is at the level of theory and discourse, this research will empirically investigate what some of these projects are accomplishing on the ground. Implemented in Nigeria, the case study driving this research is the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Initiative in partnership with universities and targeting to improve the entrepreneurial skills of already established women entrepreneurs. As I just recently completed my fieldwork where I interviewed the women who participated in the 10,000 women initiative in Lagos, Nigeria, this conference will offer me the great opportunity to present my findings for the very first time.