This article focuses on the consequences of twentieth-century developmentalism for labor practices in the Nigerien Sahel under French rule and in the postindependence period. It examines labor regime transformations at the desert’s edge; the ways in which state-led developmentalism influenced labor relations; and gender disparities in the history of emancipation from slavery. Following the abolition of forced labor in 1946, the rhetoric of human investment was used to promote the “voluntary” participation of workers in colonial development initiatives. This continued under Niger’s independent governments. Seyni Kountché’s dictatorship relabeled Niger “Development Society” and mobilized Nigeriens’ “voluntary” work in development projects. Concurrently, drought in the Sahel attracted unprecedented levels of international funding. In the Ader region this led to the establishment of a major antidesertification project that paid local labor on a food-for-work basis. Since most men migrated seasonally to West African cities, the majority of workers in the project’s worksites were women who welcomed “project work” to avoid destitution. In the name of development, it continued to be possible to mobilize workers without remuneration beyond the cost of

中文翻译：

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从不自由的工作到免费的工作：尼日尔·萨赫勒地区的劳动，援助和性别，1930–2000年

本文着重研究20世纪发展主义对法国统治下和独立后时期尼日尔·萨赫勒地区劳工实践的影响。它研究了沙漠边缘的劳动制度转变；国家主导的发展主义影响劳动关系的方式；奴隶制解放史上的性别差异。1946年废除了强迫劳动之后，人类投资的言论被用来促进工人“自愿”参与殖民地发展计划。在尼日尔的独立政府领导下，这种情况继续存在。塞尼·昆切特（SeyniKountché）的独裁政权将尼日尔重新命名为“发展协会”，并动员尼日尔人在发展项目中的“自愿”工作。同时，萨赫勒地区的干旱吸引了前所未有的国际资金。在阿德尔地区，这导致建立了一个重要的反沙漠化项目，该项目以工换粮的方式支付了当地劳动力的工资。由于大多数男人是季节性迁移到西非城市的，因此该项目工地中的大多数工人是女性，她们欢迎“项目工作”以避免贫困。以发展的名义，仍然有可能动员工人，而无需支付超出成本的报酬。