Abstract:
This paper argues that Egypt’s 2016 IMF loan and its subsequent neoliberal policies have exacerbated the difficulties of women mobilizing (moving around) in Cairo. Consequently, as this paper frames physical mobility as capability, it argues that the loan has been jeopardizing women’s personal safety, employment prospects, and possibilities of a better life. I base my theoretical work on Martha Nussbaum’s and Amartya Sen’s research regarding the capability approach in development. I also rely on literature on mobility justice and right to the city. This research is qualitative; I do textual analysis of primary sources including news articles in Arabic and English and draw data from institutional reports and surveys. I also draw on primary data from interviews I conducted with Cairene women in 2017. Using a gendered capability approach lens, this paper asks: has the IMF loan and its ensuing devaluation of the Egyptian pound and hike in fuel prices disproportionately affected Cairene women’s mobility?
Mobility in Cairo has always been difficult for most women, as the decrepit state of infrastructure and transportation, and omnipresent harassment hinders their access and rights to public space. This paper finds that the IMF loan and accompanying austerity measures have exacerbated these difficulties and made the state of women’s mobility more precarious. From there, a ripple effect in their lives (and their families’) occurs, affecting everything from their morale to how far they can travel in the city to their capability of having a better life.
To join the workshop, go here.
