Feminist Africa Volume 4, Issue 2 (2023) Public-Private Partnerships and Development in Africa: Feminist Contestations

Feminism has long been incorporating economic issues into its agenda. This is evident from the pioneering work of those who analysed the gender dimension in development debates1, to the pioneering voices from the Global South that pointed out the risks of the marketisation of governance (Taylor 2000), to the current discussions on the challenges that global financial capitalism imposes on any political programme for equality and justice (Benería et al. 2016; Sibeko 2019, 2023; Simeoni 20212). A current discussion in feminism pertains to the different possible mechanisms for financing development. The notion of financing for development refers to the mobilisation of resources that allow two issues to be addressed simultaneously: to provide for the economic and social needs that will improve the material living conditions of the population and to create the necessary structures for lasting and sustainable economic development. The sources for financing development can be multiple, including public and private, domestic and international, direct investment and borrowing. The mix of sources that determine the possibilities for financing economic development depend on the political orientation of decision-makers, the dominant narratives, the concrete possibilities of having resources and/or attracting investments, and the perspectives and the possibilities offered by the various economic, social and political structures of the countries (AWID 2014).
Author(s): Feminist Africa
Date Published: 2023

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