Globalization, Women’s Work and Care: An Analysis of the Mercosur-EU Trade Agreement from a Feminist Economic Perspective

Feminist economics critically examines globalization and trade integration, focusing not only on job creation but also on working conditions and the redistribution of care tasks, which often degrade women’s living conditions. This article analyzes the potential impacts of the Mercosur-EU free trade agreement, which has been signed but not yet implemented, on women in Argentina. While the actual effects of the agreement cannot yet be measured, the study identifies two key dimensions that are likely to be affected: employment in the textile and public sectors, and the social organization of care. Specifically, the phasing out of tariffs and changes in rules of origin may lead to a significant decrease in production and consequently employment in the textile and public sectors; declining investment in social services and care infrastructure, along with the effects of rising food and medicine prices, are expected to increase women’s unpaid workloads and decrease their disposable incomes. At the macro level, the study considers the provision of social services and care infrastructure, while at the micro level, it examines changes in food and medicine prices. These factors highlight how trade agreements can disproportionately affect women, indicating the need for a gendered perspective in economic policy analysis.