Summary of the Policy Analysis
The article suggests that as much as globalization has brought immense opportunities to the world, women have not been the biggest beneficiaries. The author posit that globalization has only resulted in new forms of neoliberalism, which continue to perpetuate the violation of human rights, inequality, poverty, and other issues. The article identifies women as the biggest losers of the invention of new technologies and the globalization of the economy. For instance, discrimination in terms of gender and other elements, including ethnicity, age, caste, skin color, and other factors continue to afflict the women more than they do to other groups of people in society. for this reason, the author of the article propose the use of intersectionality, which they define as an analytical tool used in the study, comprehension, and response to the different ways in which gender relates with other identities and the manner in which such identities contribute to peculiar experiences of privilege and oppression (Symington, 2004).
The proposed feminist theory, as the article argues, does more than identifying the groups of people in society that are oppressed. In addition to this objective, the theory helps in the identification of multiple identities that would be effective in exposing the various types of discrimination and disadvantage that arise from the combination of identities. The model recognizes that much as women share a common identity because of their gender, they vary in their identities according to the additional factors that have been used to oppress them, such as race, skin color, HIV statuses, ability, and others (Symington, 2004). Therefore, the focus of this new model is not to understand the levels of discrimination of the entire women population in a region or the world; rather, the focus is on the establishment of meaningful distinctions and similarities as a means of overcoming the forms of discrimination that would enable all people to enjoy their rights.
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The Problem, Populations Affected, and the Context
The article notes that globalization has contributed to inequality among groups of people in the society and that only a small group of people benefit from the opportunities presented. The author argue that women have been the biggest losers for the fact that new synergies have emerged that continue to oppress them. Such synergies, as the author note, have been adopted for the justification of the continued exclusion of women from opportunities for self-advancement as well as the violation of human rights. While the rest of the world may know the problem, the article suggests that policymakers have lacked an appropriate tool that would help in the alleviation of suffering and discrimination of groups of women around the world. for instance, in the historical context, the article argues, some women have better opportunities than others do because of the elements of colonialism, exposure to racism, and other issues, including that of traditional gender roles (Symington, 2004).
The existing tools have not been effective in treating women individually, according to their races, ethnicity, places of origin, and other elements, which is had resulted in a faulted generalization of the wellbeing of women around the world. For instance, it would be wrong to use the number of women in active employment as one of the metrics of determining their economic empowerment. The reason that the article offers is the fact that while some regions provide better opportunities for women to advance themselves, others around the world do not realize the need to do so.
Value Discussion
The policy issue addressed in this article is significant to the case of the State of California. According to Roache (2017), the state ranks the 14 th in the nation in terms of gender equality. This finding would be useful in suggesting that the theory presented in the article would be useful in identifying which regions within the state and what gender is most affected by the discrimination reported in literature. It is imperative noting that the US has been at the frontline in championing the rights of women and the promotion of human rights around the world (Béland, Howard, & Morgan, 2015). For this reason, California, being one of the most populous states in the country, would find strategies that promote the social wellbeing of its populace important. In fact, the political environment has changed in favor of policies that would improve the wellbeing of the women in the state through such elements as improving the wages paid to women, improving the opportunities for including them in employment, and other issues (McGreevy & Megerian, 2015). What remains undone would be what the article considers as the avoidance of generalizations about the wellbeing of women from different regions of the state. Therefore, the intersectionality approach would be quite suitable for California.
Conclusion
The intersectionality approach would provide a better means to understanding the contributors and effects of discrimination. Most importantly, the model does not stop from identifying which groups of persons are at the highest risk of discrimination. Instead, it moves on to identifying other factors that contribute to their oppression. In the wake of challenges of globalization, the new model would be beneficial in improving the status of women who have been the biggest losers of the effects of globalization.
References
Béland, D., Howard, C., & Morgan, K. J. (Eds.). (2015). The Oxford Handbook of US Social Policy . Oxford Handbooks.
McGreevy, P., & Megerian, C. (2015). California now has one of the toughest equal pay laws in the country . latimes.com . Retrieved 16 May 2018, from http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-gov-brown-equal-pay-bill-20151006-story.html
Roache, K. (2017). Study: California ranks 14th for gender equality . Retrieved 16 May 2018, from https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Study-California-ranks-14-for-gender-equality-11961356.php
Symington, A. (2004). Intersectionality: a tool for gender and economic justice. Women’s Rights and Economic Change. Retrieved May 16, 2018 from https://bb.csueastbay.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-3940442-dt-content-rid-46983671_1/courses/20182_POSC_1202_03_1/20182_POSC_1202_03_1_ImportedContent_20180313104714/20181_POSC_1202_04_1_ImportedContent_20171218093806/20174_POSC_1202_01_1_ImportedContent_20170918094610/intersectionality_en.pdf
