Work And Family: Latin American And Caribbean Women In Search Of A New Balance (latin American Development Forum)

Download Work And Family: Latin American And Caribbean Women In Search Of A New Balance (latin American Development Forum)

Over recent decades the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region has seen a dramatic and virtually uninterrupted rise in female labor force participation (LFP). Women in LAC have increased their participation faster than in any other region of the world, with nearly 70 million women added to the labor force. This evolution occurred in the context of more general progress in women s status. Female enrollment rates from primary to tertiary education have increased to the point of closing or even reversing the gender gap that traditionally favored boys. Family structures have changed markedly, and fertility rates have started to decline. Social norms have also shifted toward gender equality. This report argues that these changes are interrelated and need to be studied as such. This report provides insight on the complex interplay between economic development and female economic participation. It argues that it is inside the household that divergences of opinion, preferences, and comparative advantages are negotiated to reach decisions regarding the division of labor, child care responsibilities, home vs. market production, etc. In some cases, intra-household interactions can yield efficient specialization among spouses, such that both spouses do not have identical degrees of engagement in the labor force. In other instances, the interaction may lead to inefficient allocations of resources and/or destructive outcomes, as in the extreme case of domestic violence, making a case for policy interventions on equity and efficiency grounds.