İnstitute of Graduate Studies - lisansustu@gelisim.edu.tr

Economics And Finance (Master) (Non Thesis)








 The Invisible Hands of Women in Economy




Gross domestic product (GDP), the total goods and services produced by citizens of a country for a year is the sum of the value in corresponding to a particular currency. We hear this definition frequently. It is debated how much and to what degree women's labor is taken into consideration when calculating the gross domestic product and gross national product. This issue must have caught her attention; she says that in her book, "Who Cooked Adam Smith's Dinner?": "The eleven-year-old girl who walks fifteen kilometers every morning to bring wood to her family makes a great contribution to the country's economy. But what she does is not considered as labor. Not visible in economic statistics. It is not taken into account in GDP, which measures the total economic activity of a country. Her work is not relevant to the economy. Or to growth. It is not labor to give birth, take care of children, garden, cook for brothers, milk cows, sew clothes for relatives, or take care of Adam Smith so that he can write The Wealth of Nations. In the standard models of economics, none of these are considered "productive labor." and adds; "Sometimes today the economy is built not only by an invisible hand but also by an invisible heart." In this context, while regulating economic policies, it is necessary to be paid  attention to the equality of women and men.
According to TSI (Turkish Statistical Institute) Labor Report in August 2020, the ratio of participation in Turkey's labor force is 76.2% in men and 36.3% in women. So, do you think that ratio reflects reality? Why are labors such as taking care of children, gardening, cooking, and sewing clothes not included in the production? However, the increase in women's share of employment contributes to growth while stabilizing the economy. Women and the economy are in a positive relationship with each other in this sense. For this reason, women who have been forgotten in the economy for the past few years must take their well-deserved place.
 
R.A.Burçin Çakır