Background to the Research

• In September 1994, the EOC for NI commissioned an exploratory study to examine the extent to which the formulation, implementation and assessment of economic and industrial development policy has taken account of gender and equality issues.
• In initiating this research the EOC was aware that in NI there had been no comprehensive study linking an analysis of gender relations to the wider economy. In particular there had been no analysis of the extent to which gender issues and women's contribution to society and the economy are considered in the formulation of policy.
• Whether or not equal opportunities are considered in the design and delivery of economic policy, the policies have consequences for equality.
  

Research Approach

• The existing literature on the economy uses indicators such as the manufacturing sector's low productivity, the decline of manufacturing employment, high rates of unemployment, heavy dependence on subvention from the British exchequer, and an excessive reliance on public spending and employment, to highlight these structural weaknesses. This paper explores these issues with special reference to women.
• Section 2 seeks to review the existing literature and traditional economic explanations of NI's poor economic performance emphasising the significance of women in the economy.
• An overview of the development of industrial policy in GB and NI is contained in Section 3.
• Section 4 provides an overview of recent developments in social policy in NI, the Fair Employment, Policy Appraisal and Fair Treatment, Targeting Social Need and Making Belfast Work legislation and initiatives.
• Sections 5 and 6 consider the 'new European' model and the approach to economic and social policies advocated by the Commission for Social Justice and the alternatives these present to a "regulatory burden" model.
  

Main Findings

• The survey of the existing economic literature reveals there has been no linking of gender-relations analysis to the economy. In particular, there has been no analysis of women's role in the formulation of policy or of women's contribution to the economy.
• The overview of industrial policy and social policy in NI illustrates that there is a dichotomy between the ideology of the primacy of market forces which appear to dominate government's attitude towards industrial policy and the more interventionist approach to social policy, especially the commitment to 'targeting social need'.
• Government perceives 'economic' and 'social' as almost independent of one another. This uncoordinated approach has severely limited the effectiveness of economic and social policy and may have actually curtailed efforts to regenerate the economy. It is therefore argued that it is time to examine other approaches to economic and social policy such as the European Commission approach.
• The 'new European model' and the approach towards national renewal in GB advocated by the Commission on Social Justice reveals that there is a considerable gulf between approaches to economic and social policies in these documents and those of the United Kingdom government.

Recommendations

• This research has pointed to a number of important areas for development as far as women are concerned.
• First, in order to maximise the potential economic benefits of this regeneration process, the linkage between economic and social policies must be explicitly acknowledged. A start must be made to examining how the linkage of economic and social policies could be applied to NI.
• In addition, in order to achieve regeneration that will address the inequality that exists between the sexes, it must be recognised that economic and social policies are not gender neutral (or 'universal'). Therefore, the EOC believes that it would be useful to carry out Gender Impact Studies on new policy proposals.
• Finally, since equal opportunities alone do not automatically result in either equal treatment or equal representation, it is essential that women participate in, and women's concerns are addressed by, all aspects of decision-making.