ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the process of production, the women and men whose labour power is necessary for production, and the violent practices of those who employ and manage workers in neoliberal capitalist regimes. The social relations among members and relatives of microcredit associations are of concern here, rather than the merits of microfinance schemes. Two facets of this question are relevant to the use of force: first, the relations among members of microcredit groups, particularly in regard to repayment of loans, and second, the gender relations between the women who receive microloans and the male decision-makers in their households. The war economies of Congo and Sierra Leone are contrasted with Tanzania where evidence suggests that Tanzanian women find more opportunity in the mines with less risk of violence. The chapter concludes with a review of women's lives in conflict zones, focusing on criminal activity and corruption, cross-border trade and trafficking and smuggling of women and girls.
