i read most of this book speechless. with raised eyebrows. feeling very naïve.
i expected ‘the cost of sexism’ to be some sort of feminist personal finance manifesto. what i found, however, was a deeply nuanced analysis of the world’s economy through a gender lens.
now, if this sounds somewhat dry or intellectual, let me assure you, this book is anything but. of course, it’s evidence-based and well-researched—that’s how i like my books. but linda scott has both feet planted firmly in the real world.
as such, she has developed and implemented numerous interventions to economically empower women in some of the poorest countries in the world, such as ghana, uganda, and pakistan.
it’s the account of these missions that gives this book its punch. i found the practices she described in regard to women downright abysmal. but then again, the fact that i remained unaware of these conditions until now is just more evidence of my privilege.
but back to the book.
the core of scott’s argument is the different set of economic rules that apply to women, a double standard she coined the ‘double x economy’.
this concept includes a variety of factors: additional barriers, female contributions that are not—or not correctly—compensated, and differing spending habits (men as a group tend to spend more on themselves, while women spend more on family and communities, all the while having their spending perceived as frivolous).
at the same time, there is a clear correlation between how well a nation does economically (in terms of gdp) and how well it treats its women. further evidence even indicates causation, meaning that economically empowering women will make a nation richer.
it is in this web of contradictions that scott spins her argument, bringing together experiences from the poorest to the richest countries, unveiling similar phenomena (albeit at different scales) that are as infuriating as they are ubiquitous and systemic.
if there was ever a book to strengthen my resolve to die a very rich, old woman, this was it.
