Uneasy passages between neoliberalism and feminism: Social inclusion and financialization in Israel's empowerment microfinance

Abstract

This article focuses on feminist non‐governmental organizations advocating for economic empowerment of women (EEW) through microfinance, using Israel as a case study. Through fieldwork, interviews and documents, we investigate the institutional practices, cultural discourses and struggles that EEWs develop in order to expose the particular ways in which feminist organizations interact with the world of finance and state institutions. Our analysis points to the complex power dynamics of mediation, suggesting that there are ‘uneasy passages' between neoliberalism and feminism, ones that help re‐signify the meaning of financial discourses while re‐politicizing women's social and economic exclusions. Simultaneously, however, this relation induces a series of compromises, whereby EEWs adopt neoliberal modes of governance. Rejecting the notion that contemporary feminism has simply been co‐opted by neoliberalism or the perception of EEW microfinance as a mere expansion of neoliberal rationalities, we reveal new sites and ways in which feminism both colludes and collides with neoliberalism.

Barriers and interventions on the way to empower women through financial inclusion: a 2 decades systematic review (2000–2020)

“…This reminds us of the much-discussed US presidential elections in 2016, where former U.S. Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was subject to misogynistic attacks indicating to her being too weak to Gonzales et al, 2015;Kumari and Azam, 2019;Montanari and Bergh, 2019;Manta, 2019;Kavita and Suman, 2019;Kaur and Kapuria, 2020;Doss et al, 2020;Ingale andPaluri, 2020 Low financial accessibility Bernasek, 2003;Klasen and Lamanna, 2009;Soumare et al, 2016;Brudevold et al, 2017;Manta, 2019;Kemp and Berkovitch, 2020;Mueller et al, 2020;Demirguc-Kunt et al, 2022 Ethnicity Kaur andKapuria, 2020;Gonzales Martínez et al, 2020 Experimental studies Social interventions Cho et al, 2013;Ibarrarán et al, 2019;Maitra and Mani, 2017;Field et al, 2016;Kim et al, 2007 Economic interventions Dupas andRobinsion, 2013;Dupas et al, 2014;Schaner, 2017;Squires 2018;Lall et al, 2017;Gonzales Martínez et al, 2020;Prina, 2015;Roy et al, 2015 Social andeconomic interventions Adoho et al, 2014;Alzúa et al, 2016;Bandiera et al, 2015;Stark et al, 2018;Honorati, 2015;Valdivia, 2015;…”

“…Looking at the brighter side, ambitious efforts are being made through pathways such as microfinance (Kemp and Berkovitch, 2020) and digital inclusion to pull women out of these neverending and self-building barriers.…”

Does It Matter Where You Live? Rural–Urban Context Among Women Entrepreneurs in Pakistan

“…Although entrepreneurship has been considered a sector dominated by men ( Syed, 2010 ), studies have revealed the significance of the women’s contributions to economic empowerment through entrepreneurship ( Jabeen et al, 2020 ). Women’s entrepreneurship has played a significant role in generating jobs ( Nahid et al, 2019 ), social inclusion ( Kemp and Berkovitch, 2020 ), gender equality ( Ul Hassan and Naz, 2020 ), wellbeing ( Lepeley et al, 2020 ; Muhammad et al, 2021a ), and increasing living standards by alleviating poverty ( Nasir et al, 2019 ).…”

Rethinking gender equity in the contaminated university: A methodology for listening for music in the ruins

“…They explore the ways in which neoliberal discourses and practices are appropriated and internalized, resulting in a deepening of already existing gendered inequalities. There have also been several studies of the ways in which neoliberalism is contested and resisted in everyday practices at the work place and in feminist movements (e.g., Adamson, 2017; Berglund, Ahl, Pettersson, & Tillmar, 2018; Colley & White, 2019; Davies, Browne, Gannon, Honan, & Somerville, 2005; Granberg & Nygren, 2017; Grosser & McCarthy, 2019; Kemp & Berkowich, 2020; Rottenberg, 2019).…”