Lessons from the Coronavirus: The socialization of care work is not ‘just’ a women’s issue

By Smriti Rao (guest post)

Republished from IDEAs Network.

The defining images of the coronavirus crisis in India are the images of migrants, children in tow, walking hundreds of kilometers to return home – only to be denied entrance. These images are driving home the extent of the government’s indifference to the lives of millions of Indians, with the situation for India’s non-migrant daily wage workers less visible but equally desperate. It may seem unfair to accuse the government of being indifferent to human survival when the current lockdown was announced to reduce the spread of this virus. But ordering physical distancing is not enough. Human survival and well-being depend upon access to clean water, access to a safe space we can retreat to at times like this and access to basic health care and food. This calls for a public infrastructure that can provide these vital goods and services to citizens regardless of their income – one that exists at all times, but can be boosted even further at critical moments like this one. In India, our government has prioritized various forms of public expenditure that subsidize profit-making and profit-makers over those that subsidize human survival and well-being, leaving the latter almost entirely to the private sphere. Our current crisis is revealing the true costs of this choice.

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In Memoriam: Martin Khor (1951-2020)

It is with great sadness that we report the death of economist Martin Khor, who was a contributor to Triple Crisis blog.  Khor served as executive director of the South Centre from 2009 to 2018; this tribute to him is from the South Centre website.

Mr. Martin Khor, the Executive Director of the South Centre in 2009-2018, passed away on 1st April 2020 in Penang. The South Centre pays homage to his indefatigable work against inequality and the marginalization of the peoples of the South. He guided and inspired many who, both in the North and the South, seek a fairer and more inclusive international system. His intellectual contributions covered a wide range of issues, from international trade to climate change and the effects of antimicrobial resistance. As Executive Director of the South Centre, he was able to expand the scope and reach of its activities in support of the development efforts of the countries of the South. Martin was an economist trained at Cambridge University and the Universiti Sains of Malaysia. Before joining the South Centre, he was the Director of the Third World Network and the Research Director of the Consumers’ Association of Penang, and an Economics Lecturer in the Universiti Sains Malaysia. He is the author of several books and articles on economics, sustainable development, globalization, trade and intellectual property. He was formerly a member of the United Nations Committee on Development Policy, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Task Force on Environment and Development and a Vice Chair of the Expert Group on the Right to Development of the United Nations Human Rights Commission. In his seminal book Rethinking Globalization: Critical Issues and Policy Choices, he set out concrete proposals for what Third World governments could do to shape globalization to their particular circumstances. Martin was also the founder and main editor of the South-North Development Monitor (SUNS), a unique source of information, from the Southern perspective, on the processes of negotiations and issues of concern for developing countries. Martin’s commitment, deep knowledge and grasp of the international NorthSouth economic disparities, as well as of the cross connections between different challenges confronting the South and their deep roots in a hegemonic world order, leave indelible lessons for all. The South Centre extends its condolences to his family. We will fondly remember him as a deeply passionate, knowledgeable and full of empathy colleague and director.