Globalization and Women Does globalization really enhance women's voice and agency? Wells, Shuey, and Kiely (2001, p. 37) define globalization as "the recent and rapid progress of intercontinental economic, social, and political integration." As the authors further point out, it is this integration that permits people from across the world to not only relate, but also communicate seamlessly. It is also this same globalization that allows corporate entities to conduct business more effectively across the globe. But how exactly does globalization affect women?

In the words of Lachner (2001), globalization could "harm women -- especially in the south -- in several ways." According to the author, globalization has could have a negative impact on women economically, politically, as well as culturally. This is particularly the case for those in the global south and north. From the economic perspective, women could suffer from globalization as corporations discriminate them in favor of their male counterparts. Further, as Lachner (2001) notes, in addition to being marginalized in informal labor, women risk being exploited in low-wage sweatshop scenarios -- thanks to globalization. It is important to note that as a result of globalization, some jobs have become more competitive,...

Few women in the global north and south, as Chandra (2004) points out, possess the formal training as well as education needed to fill competitive positions. As a matter of fact, "lack of formal education and trailing is generally identified by women as the key factor that excludes them from the better paid and more rewarding jobs, those that demand higher levels of technical analysis and analytical skills" (Chandra, 2004, p. 138). As the author further points out, what this means this that "men get jobs before women…" In the end, it means that women could, as a result of globalization, end up more impoverished and less prosperous.
Politically, women risk being excluded from key political decisions as well as undertakings (Lachner, 2001). This is a phenomenon that is well captured by the assertion that "as political decision-making moves from the local, through the national, to the transnational level, women are more and more excluded, and power is ever more exercised by men only" (Scott, 2013, p. 58). With globalization, political decisions are no longer the preserve of national governments -- as nations…