Workshop in Bangkok, 2023

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Searching for Feminist Macroeconomic Clarity in a World of Polycrises: Reflections from Bangkok

By Sue Godt (based on collective input from the project’s core team and support from AI*)

In September 2023, we  had the privilege of joining a remarkable group of feminist thinkers, economists, and activists from across the global South in Bangkok, Thailand, for the inaugural meeting of DAWN’s Global South Feminist Perspectives on Macroeconomics project. We  arrived with high expectations — Corina Rodríguez Enríquez’s concept note had already laid out an ambitious agenda: to identify and prioritise the questions that matter most for a new generation of feminist macroeconomic analysis.

What we didn’t expect was to experience one of those rare, clarifying “ah-hah” moments — a pivotal turning point that reframes how one sees the world and one’s place in it. The Bangkok workshop was one of those moments for us. It was more than a convening; it was a catalyst for critical thought, deep listening, and collective visioning.

A Polycrisis, Systemically Mapped

From the first session, it was clear that we were not dealing with single-issue debates. Gita Sen’s framing — tracing the evolution of capitalism and walking us through the financialised architecture of today’s world — created the framing we needed to connect the dots. We weren’t just talking about debt, care work, climate, or financial flows; we were collectively seeing how these intersecting dynamics are producing the polycrisis of our times.

What stayed with us most was the clarity and systemic depth with which the participants — many of them leading feminist economists — diagnosed the current moment and began to reassemble strategies for resistance and transformation.

Unequal Recoveries and New Extractions

The Sri Lanka case study laid bare the brutal impact of austerity: not just another adjustment package, but a seismic reconfiguration of national sovereignty. Bhumika Mucchala’s analysis of global macroeconomic trends underscored that we are not in a cycle of “same old, same old” – but rather, witnessing a high-speed acceleration of extractivist and financial logics that are reconfiguring global investment flows and power relations. As she put it, this is “extraction on steroids”.

Emilia Reyes’ presentation on planetary boundaries was, quite literally, mind-blowing. While many approach climate, biodiversity, and sustainability as parallel tracks, the planetary boundaries framework dramatically explained the interrelationship of these elements and made terrifyingly clear just how close we are to irreversible ecological collapse — possibly by 2035 — and why macroeconomic analysis must centre ecological integrity alongside social justice.

Feminist Perspectives on Work and Care in Transition

Discussions brought into sharp focus the “delabourfication” of economies like India’s, the commodification of care work, and the global North’s dependence on care labour from the South. Marina Durano’s reflections on digitalisation and the gig economy reminded us that the future of work is not arriving — it’s already here — and it is deeply gendered. Yet, she also pointed to openings: possibilities for transnational organising among platform workers, and strategies to revalue care.

Across sessions — from illicit financial flows to the commodification of social provisioning — we returned again and again to the question of agency. How do we, as feminists in the South, name and resist the forces shaping this moment? How do we challenge austerity not only as an economic policy but as an embedded, institutionalised logic?

Feeling the Pulse of Feminist Power

The visit was propelled by a surge of energy — from the streets of Bangkok to the charged atmosphere in the meeting room. The vibrancy, expertise, and sisterhood in the space were undeniable. At moments, there was a collective sense of being overwhelmed by the scale of the challenges. As Gita reminded us, “her generation had Dylan” — a metaphor for hope and rebellion. Amidst the weight of today’s intersecting crises,  we felt that same spark.

There was intergenerational dialogue — voices like those of Lena Lavinas and Isabel Ortiz drew lines between past struggles and current battles, and younger feminists mapped new territories of analysis and resistance. By the end, there was a palpable sense of being uplifted — not because the answers were easy, but because we were finding clarity together.

Carrying Hope in Hard Times

One of the most powerful moments came when Gita posed the question that continues to resonate deeply: “How do we find direction and meaning when the environment is very difficult? What is our responsibility in the time of despair?” Her response is one we carry with us:

“It still calls for action although we can’t promise that things will be better. We are fighting with our back to the wall. The steps will never look satisfactory but they are important victories during hard times. And small changes do change history although it won’t feel like victory.”

This workshop was not only an exercise in critical analysis — it was a testament to the will to act, even when certainty is absent. Across regions, feminists are not accepting the status quo. They are organising, resisting, and creating change — sometimes locally, sometimes globally, but always with vision and determination.

This is not a time for paralysis or cynicism. The conversations in Bangkok reminded us that collective action, even in dark times, matters. These “small changes” — shifts in discourse, new alliances, reframed questions — are the seeds of transformative futures.

A Call to Build the Feminist Future

This kick-off meeting wasn’t about finalising positions or producing consensus. It was about constructing a shared map of the terrain — and identifying where to dig deeper, together. We left with a long list of urgent, interconnected questions. But more importantly, we left with a commitment to build knowledge that is not just analytical but strategic — to intervene, disrupt, and reimagine.

For us, the Bangkok meeting affirmed that this is not just a moment of crisis; it is a moment of potential realignment. And feminist economists from the South are not just responding to global trends — we are shaping the conversations that will define the future. There is so much work to do. But we are not alone.

Let this be a call to continue building the movement of movements we need — one rooted in solidarity, clarity, and feminist transformation. Because small steps, taken together, can and do change history.

*To improve style and delivery, we used ChatGPT to support the writing process, ensuring clarity and coherence — the ideas and experiences are all human and the process was guided by human perspective.