2003-02-28 - United States
Feminism and Economic Inquiry in Central and Eastern Europe
Call For Papers - Over the last decade the transition of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) economies has altered the economic position of women. In most of these countries, increased unemployment, pension reforms, cuts in public spending on health and childcare, and changes in working conditions have lead to greater hardships for women and more labor market inequalities.

In CEE countries, feminism was traditionally linked to socialism and now has little attraction for many women. Socialism emphasized women's labor force participation without giving equal weight to changing the relative caregiving responsibilities of women and men. Further, scholars in CEE countries who work on economic issues of special concern to women tend not to consider themselves feminists, despite their work on such issues as the gender wage gap, the division of labor in the household, the differential impact of social and economic policies on women and men, the special problems of women entrepreneurs, and labor force participation issues. Moreover, only a few of these scholars engage in international discussions on feminism and feminist economics.

We invite submissions of brief articles (no longer than 4000 words) addressing gender issues in the economies of CEE countries for an symposium to be published in the Explorations section of Feminist Economics , the journal of the International Association for Feminist Economics (IAFFE). We especially encourage submissions by scholars living or currently working in Central and Eastern European countries.

Contributions may address such topics as:
- an overview of the main gender issues in the economies of one or more CEE countries,
- the position of women in universities (especially in economics departments) and/or other research institutions,
- the role of feminism in economics and other social science research,
- feminist perspectives on social science and economics theory, and policies.

The aim is to provide the reader of Feminist Economics with an initial overview of research in a range of Central and Eastern European countries and to begin a dialogue on the main issues concerning women and gender. To attain broad coverage of CEE countries, a budget for translations into English and for editing is available.

Please direct queries and requests for further information to the guest editors: Edith Kuiper and Marianne A. Ferber
. Manuscripts should be submitted to the journal editor, Diana Strassmann, and should follow the submission and editorial guidelines listed on the journal's website. Guidelines may also be found in the journal, or requested by writing:
Diana Strassmann, Editor, Feminist Economics, MS-9, Rice University, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251-1892 USA; (fax: 1.713.348.5495).
Source: Alenka Pirman - Slovenia