Back | Programme Area: Gender and Development (2000 - 2009), Special Events (2000 - 2009)
Changes in Economic Policy Regimes in Uruguay from a Gender Perspective (1930- 2000) (Draft)
Background paper prepared for the UNRISD report "Gender Equality: Striving for Justice in an Unequal World"
This study aims to provide an overview of the impact of economic policy regimes in Uruguay over the last fifty years on women’s well-being and gender relations. To undertake this task, two analytical sections were defined. The first one corresponds to the Import Substitution Strategy which goes from 1930 to 1955. It is characterised by the core importance of the domestic market and the thrust of social legislation akin to welfare state practices. The second goes from 1973 to the present and it is featured by the economic openness, the predominance of foreign markets and a reduction in the regulatory role of the State.
This article is divided into five sections. The first contains a description of the categories applied in carrying out the gender analysis under different economic policy regimens. In the second section arguments justifying the definition of periods are put forward, and the hypotheses that guided our research are set out. The third and fourth sections contain details of the macroeconomic and social policies prevailing in each stage, and explore their impact on women’s well-being and gender relations. The final section is a synthesis of the main findings.