The political economy of 'empowerability' : a critical discourse analysis of the 'gender equality as smart economics' policy agenda

摘要: Gender equality initiatives in international development are increasingly dominated by messages about the ‘Smart Economics’ of empowerment and economic benefits capitalizing on women’s ‘untapped’ labour power. Which women represented as most ‘empowerable’ gender discourses, what structures processes shape them? This thesis interrogates how made visible objects discourses; to this end, it develops concept ‘empowerability’ critically analyze discursive terrain agenda. It uses critical discourse analysis policy documents, publicity material, public statements (supplemented interviews) examine World Bank’s 2012 Development Report, Global Private Sector Leaders Forum, Adolescent Girl Initiative, Nike Foundation’s Effect campaign. I develop framework providing a feminist reading Foucault’s critique human capital, order map relationship between bodies, subjectivities, interventions. In empirical chapters that follow, I apply framework. With reference demonstrate discourses rely highly exclusionary categories identify subjects, which reproduce essentialist tropes maternal altruism an engine for growth. They furthermore represent altruistic but irrational, non-market actors who require responsibilization through job life skills training. Drawing Bank public-private partnerships, my shows narrative emerges from literature works legitimize corporate authority process position corporations best place catalyze process. The dominant mode deployed engenders is produces restrictive neoliberal conception bodies subjectivities ‘matter’ development.