The current global economic meltdown has brought forth many
analyses of what went wrong and a long list of suggestions on
how to mend the crisis and prevent it from happening again. In
recent months, some policymakers, journalists and women's rights
advocates have begun putting forth women as "the" solution.
Citing facts that women make up half the world's population,
form the backbone of most economies with their paid and unpaid
work and are an increasing percentage of business owners,
entrepreneurs and consumers, more and more prominent figures are
sounding the call that investing in women will solve the current
crisis and achieve long-term economic sustainability. Few,
including I.M.O.W., would dispute these points. On the one hand,
women are the world's everyday economists. Around the world,
they balance household budgets and in a few cases, the balance
sheets of entire nations and companies. Often they must figure
out how to stretch scarce resources to provide for the needs of
all under their care. Women