Editing Cooperative (section)

== Women in cooperatives ==
{{Main|Women in cooperatives}}
{{More citations needed section|date=July 2024}}

Since cooperatives are based on values like [[self-help]], democracy, [[Social equality|equality]], [[Equity (economics)|equity]], and [[solidarity]], they can play a particularly strong role in empowering women, especially in developing countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://social.un.org/index/Cooperatives/WhatisaCooperative.aspx|title=What is a Cooperative?|work=un.org|access-date=30 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130326100349/http://social.un.org/index/Cooperatives/WhatisaCooperative.aspx|archive-date=26 March 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Cooperatives allow women who might have been isolated and working individually to band together and create [[economies of scale]] as well as increase their own [[bargaining power]] in the market. In statements in advance of [[International Women's Day]] in early 2013, President of the [[International Cooperative Alliance]], [[Dame Pauline Green]], said, "Cooperative businesses have done so much to help women onto the ladder of economic activity. With that comes community respect, political legitimacy and influence."

However, despite the intended democratic structure of cooperatives and the values and benefits shared by members, due to traditional [[gender norms]] on the role of women, and other instilled cultural practices that sidestep attempted legal protections, women and other disadvantaged groups suffer a disproportionately low representation in cooperative membership around the world. Representation of women through ''active'' membership (showing up to meetings and voting), as well as in leadership and managerial positions is even lower.<ref name="Nippierd2002">Nippierd, A. (2002). [http://media.microfinancelessons.com/resources/gender_issues_coops.pdf "Gender issues in cooperatives."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304105212/http://media.microfinancelessons.com/resources/gender_issues_coops.pdf |date=4 March 2016 }} Geneva, Switzerland: International Labour Organization</ref>

Some of the [[Patriarchy|patriarchal]] behaviors that can be found in cooperatives involve the formal structures and [[hierarchy]] that conform{{dubious|date=August 2024}}} the cooperative:
* Non-open and non-democratic decision-making: democratic spaces are often [[Co-option|co-opted]] by [[white men]], who occupy most of the space, and tend to monopolize the leadership of those democratic spaces. This can result in women having less voice in the cooperative decision making, thus having their needs underrepresented.
* Exclusionary leadership: in some occasions, the management of cooperatives involves electing leaders for specific purposes. The under-representation of women in the democratic spaces can result in them having a smaller chance of being elected as representatives or leaders. Statistics show that women are still underrepresented in responsibility jobs in co-ops.<ref name="Nippierd2002" />
* [[Interpersonal relationship]]s: patriarchal behavior can also be found in male colleagues, who often, for example, act in patronizing ways, or have distrust in women's capacity to perform certain jobs.
* Lesser wages for [[Non-binary gender|non-binary people]]: non-binary people tend to earn less money than [[cisgender]], even in co-ops.

The strongest manifestations of [[machismo]] in cooperatives are: {{Opinion|date=July 2024}}
* Manifestations of machismo that belittle, offend and detract from security and autonomy. They involve a higher level of degradation.
* [[Sexual violence]]: unfortunately, within workers cooperatives sexual violence happens sometimes. It is often hidden by the false supposition that in cooperatives everything is shared and done collectively, which might create an environment that might hide sexual violence. For example, under such a climate of trust and confidence, inappropriate [[pick-up line]]s, or [[sexist joke]], could inadvertently pass as normal. In the most extreme cases, sexual aggressions or even rape is wrongly justified under the excuse of having trust and confidence in each other.