DEPENDANCE THEORY:

It was popular in the 1960s and 1970s. It rejected the modernization theory,
arguing that underdeveloped countries are not only older versions of developed
countries but in-fact wealthier countries of today had become wealthy by
exploiting poorer countries in the following three respects:
 Dependency theory suggests that poorer countries are not able to develop
because they rely too much on wealthier countries.
 Some people who believe in dependency theory say that developing
countries will always stay less developed because the surplus they produce
is taken by richer countries, often through multinational corporations. This
leaves no profit for reinvestment and development.
 The reason why third world countries are underdeveloped is not because
they are not keeping up with modern technology and trends from developed
countries. It is mainly because they are economically and politically
influenced by developed countries.
 Poor nations give wealthy nations access to their markets, allowing the
wealthy nations to have a higher standard of living.
 They support a state of dependence of poor nations on wealthy ones by
controlling economics, media, politics, banking, finance, education, culture,
sports and all aspects of human resource development including the
recruitment and training of workers.
 They counter all attempts made by dependent nations to resist their
influences by means of economic sanctions, and, at times, by the use of
military force.
CRITCISM:
Critics argue that dependency theory focuses too much on material and
economic factors and overlooks other important aspects. The development of
Asian economies that followed capitalist and open approaches contradicts some
predictions of dependency theory. However, it's important to note that certain
Asian countries, such as South Korea and Taiwan, did incorporate elements of
development theory, such as import-substitution and significant investment
from the United States.
FEMINIST ANALYSIS:
In terms of feminist analysis, an analogy can be drawn to show how men use
the patriarchal system to keep women dependent on them. Women are
deliberately excluded from certain types of work and their cheap labor is
exploited by men and the patriarchal world systems.
FEMINIST CRITIQUE:
while dependency theory explains how traditional systems of exploitation based
on race, caste, or class were used by present-day developed countries, it fails to
examine how gender power dynamics within colonies contributed to such
development. Additionally, most dependency theorists do not analyze the
exploitation of women's labor by multinational corporations under the WTO
regime.

Dependency Theory Applied to Gender and Development

Dependency theory and Marxist-Feminists argue that Transnational

Corporations (TNCs) exploit patriarchal values rather than promoting equality
in developing countries. Women's material subordination is used by TNCs, as
women endure poor conditions due to limited alternatives, such as being
mothers and unpaid domestic laborers.
Many global supply chains, particularly in industries like garments, employ a
high proportion of women workers, reaching 65% to 90% in china, Bangladesh
and Cambodia. Exploitation of women by corporations is seen in countries like
Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, the garment industry is the largest employer of
women, a majority of whom live in rural areas where employment is scarce. In
addition, these women are often supporting large extended families, and
working for the garment industry is often the only option other than working as
a farm hand.
Increased female workforce participation in developing countries can lead to
higher risks for women, as their jobs are often low-paying, insecure, and
dangerous, especially during economic recessions.
The collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh in 2013, where
over half of the casualties were women, highlights the dangers faced by female
workers. Despite elevating women's status, they often experience harassment
and unsafe working conditions.
Lack of labor laws and enforcement contribute to the exploitation of women. In
Guatemala, women make up a significant portion of textile factory workers and
domestic servants, facing abuses and limited access to rights.
Some US-based companies, despite company policies, maintain contracts with
factories that violate rights, such as conducting pregnancy tests or denying
healthcare to female workers.
Strengthening legal protections and providing access to legal recourse for
women workers can be a positive step towards their development, according to
Human Rights Watch.

Unfortunately, even the global nature of business does not confer universal rights for these
women. Many U.S.-based companies, such as Target, The Limited, Wal-Mart, GEAR for
Sports, Liz Claiborne, and Lee Jeans, have contracts with Guatemalan factories and continue
to honor them even if the factories break explicit company policy, such as physically
examining women to determine if they are pregnant and denying health care to employees.
According to Human Rights Watch, strengthening legal protection for women labourers and
increasing their access to legal recourse might cement increased participation in the work as
a positive development for women.