Women as Producers, Women as Sellers

Women as Producers, Women as Sellers
Globalization has created still more contradictions of consumption. Many of the products that are for sale in Canada are not made under fair conditions. In the global economy, goods are frequently made in developing countries because the labour costs are less expensive for the companies. The majority of workers in manufacturing factories are women; they are paid less than men and many are fired after the age of 25 or if they marry. Women workers in export factories are frequently treated poorly - common experiences include being restricted from going to the washroom, forced pregnancy testing, and sexual harassment by male management.⁵

At the other end of the process, the majority of people who work in retail stores and malls in Manitoba are women. Ten percent of women in Manitoba are employed in general sales and service occupations with an additional 4% in food and beverage service, 3% as retail salespersons, and 2% as cashiers. These jobs are usually low paying with few benefits and make it difficult for women to support themselves and their families. Cashier ranks as one of the ten lowest paid occupations in Canada.

Costs of consumption
Besides the costs to individuals, there are other costs related to production and consumption including environmental costs. Producing products at the other end of the world rather than around the corner, means increased transportation and fossil fuel emissions. There are also concerns about packaging and the waste generated in the production process. And closer to home, a lot of purchases are made in suburban shopping malls and big box stores encouraging people to drive cars more often. Malls and superstores also require a lot of energy to heat and keep lit.

Consumption has increased with the advent of globalization. Between 1970 and 1995, consumption has more than doubled from 8.3 trillion in 1970 to 16.5 trillion US dollars in 1995.⁶ People are buying more and more and more. Consumerism is being exported to developing countries too. The lifestyles of people in developed countries are held up by some as indicators of progress to people in developing countries. When advertising enters a country where there was hardly any advertising before, in contrast to more experienced and savvy western consumers, people tend to take the advertisers at their word.⁷ The introduction of new products can eliminate traditional ways of operating in developing countries and destroy local markets. And the export of consumerism to less-industrialized countries ignores the fact that consumption patterns in developed countries are not environmentally sustainable.

Thoughtful Consumption
Because of all the contradictions related to consumption, it becomes more and more important for us to stop and think about our motivations for buying different things. We need to take our role as consumers seriously. Are we buying in excess to make ourselves feel better, to fit in, or because shopping is simply a habit we've gotten into? Considering the impact of consumption on women around the world creates yet more work for women who are already balancing a lot! Still it is important for us to remember that women have a lot of spending power that we can use to demand production that benefits all people around the world. There are many things that we can do to support fair labour practices and lessen the impact of consumption on the environment

Women are not just passive recipients of toothpaste and ready-made dinners. Women are powerful and have a powerful role to play. Working together as consumers and producers, we can make the world a more just place for all peoples and for our earth