Economic literacy

Training programmes on economic literacy from a gender perspective have been carried out by women’s organisations in many countries. In using the term ‘literacy’ we do not intend to imply that participants are ‘illiterate’ about the economy. In this guide 'literacy' is used to refer to an adult education process that is grounded in the values of community development and aims to facilitate critical engagement with ideas. This kind of education is based on the ideas of Paolo Freire. It challenges underlying power relations in society, and aims to contribute to creative and collective action for social change.

In 1998, Women in Development Europe (WIDE), a network of women’s organisations working on gender and development issues, produced a pilot training manual. Through this manual, WIDE aimed to bring its work on alternative, feminist economics into an accessible programme of training for women. The manual links alternative economics from a feminist perspective and popular education methodology. As an organisation committed to linking gender analysis and development education, Banúlacht found the idea immediately attractive as a new way to bring a global focus into its work with women’s organisations. Initially working with Emily Kawano, a Belfast-based economist and facilitator who had worked for many years at the Centre for Popular Economics in the United States, as a consultant and mentor, Banúlacht’s economic literacy work has developed through training and consultation with a range of women’s organisations. Since 1998, we have organised 45 workshops on Economic Literacy with a range of different women’s orgaisations in Ireland (e.g. women’s groups, networks, community development projects, women’s studies groups).

Economic Literacy training provides a space for women to explore how the economy works and its impact on their everyday lives. It facilitates women to explore the prevailing values that underlie economic policy (such as the persistent conflation of economic growth with well-being in narratives of Ireland’s economic ‘boom’) and to develop their own visions of alternative value systems and alternative economic policies.

We believe that in making the links between the local and global dimensions of poverty among women and of women’s economic rights, we contribute to creating solidarity between women’s organisations working to eliminate poverty in Ireland and similar organisations in the South. This solidarity, underpinned by informed awareness and analytical skills developed through our training programmes, is part of a process of empowerment whereby women’s groups and organisations, as well as individual women, will engage in advocacy and campaigning for gender equality and justice globally.

Why economic literacy?

In using the term literacy we do not intend to imply that participants are illiterate about the economy. Rather, we use the word ‘literacy’ in the way it is used by Freire, to refer to an adult education process that is grounded in the values of community development and that aims to facilitate critical engagement with ideas.

Comments from participants in Banúlacht’s Economic Literacy Training:

--“I surprised myself with what I knew. Thought it would be over my head but it’s very relevant to local issues.”

--“I used to ignore economic issues, language, but feel the system stops women from understanding the language.”

--“Can see common issues for myself and women in other countries. I’d feel more confident now to face a politician.”

In 2003, we published Looking at the Economy through Women’s Eyes: a facilitators’ guide for Economic Literacy as a resource and training tool for economic literacy trainers and tutors.