Women's work

About: Women's work is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1625 publications have been published within this topic receiving 33754 citations. The topic is also known as: woman's work.

Spatial Constraints on Women's Work in Tarija, Bolivia

Abstract: This geography of women's work in the less-developed world is set in Tarija, Bolivia, a small city that has been dramatically changed by economic crisis and structural-adjustment programs. Explored is the spatial component of women's economic activities in a low-income barrio following the imposition of structural-adjustment programs in the 1980s and 1990s. Women who pursue employment away from home must rely on other women. In particular, households that include more than one woman who is capable of handling important daily chores are more likely to have a woman engaged in income-generating activities away from the home and the neighborhood. Women at home make it possible for other women to extend their economic activity into the broader community. These findings are important because they draw attention to women's reliance on other women, how women use space, and how they are constrained by spatial factors as they negotiate their daily lives. Keywords: Bolivia, employment, structural adjustment, women.

Why is the gender revolution uneven and stalled? Gender essentialism and men's movement into “women's work”

Abstract: Men's limited movement into female occupations has been identified as a key barrier to future declines in occupational sex segregation and achieving greater gender equality. So why are men so reticent to enter jobs normatively regarded as female? Drawing from qualitative interviews with multiple stakeholders in four female‐dominated occupations in Australia, this article documents the processes that influence men's employment in gender‐atypical jobs. Gender essentialism is central to many processes that generate and/or stall changes in men's representation in female‐dominated occupations. While gender essentialism's role in producing and reproducing occupation sex segregation is well known, its role in reducing occupational sex segregation is a critical process which has previously received limited attention. The article details gender essentialism's integrative function.

Constraints to Women and Development in Africa

Abstract: Although women produce more than 60% of the food crop in much of Africa less than 1 in 5 has found employment in wage earning occupations. The authors examine the hypothesis that there are 2 primary constraints to the improvement of the economic status of women (in addition to tradition and culture): lack of access to education and capital. Access to land and information is seen as secondary. Examination of available data indicates there is sufficient evidence that a pattern of discrimination exists against females in both formal and informal (as in agricultural training) education in Africa. In regard to financial credit commercial banks have allocated less than 5% of their lending portfolios to the agricultural sector while government sponsored development banks lend primarily to men. In the informal sector a variety of savings mechanisms have been involved that generate mutual support and other social benefits offering credit to women and men--although with higher losses and lower earnings than formal institutions. The need for government interventions to improve educational facilities and opportunities for women and to help informal groups mobilize traditional savings and more credit for women is emphasized.