Gender and Trade - What have been the trends in work patterns and health conditions of women workers in export-oriented industries? - What have been the trends in work patterns and health conditions of women workers in export-oriented industries? - What have been the trends in work patterns and health conditions of women workers in export-oriented industries?

Author	Message
Sona Mitra Oct 16 2007 7:56AM	The outward-oriented trade liberalization policies promoting export industries created increased employment opportunities for all in general and women in particular in the developing countries across the globe due to the labour intensive character of the production process. Given the fact that trade liberalization policies being pursued for the last two or more decades, this is currently a well-established concept. However, what seems important is the working condition of women in such industries under a changing global order. It is important to consider the refined and broadened understanding of women’s work by incorporating dimensions not adequately addressed as yet. While the positive effects of increased employment opportunities has imparted a sense of economic independence and improved the bargaining power of women in the households thus moving towards greater gender empowerment, it has also had its share of adverse impacts upon the working women. Extensive research and case studies related to women’s work have focused on the adverse effects of changes in the world of work, emphasizing low wages, flexibility, high retrenchment rates and precariousness in the export oriented industries. The garments, textiles factories, the so called sweatshops, electronics industries in South and South-East Asian countries, the call centers in India and African nations, horticulture and tourism in Africa and Latin America, the maquiladoras of Mexico and other Latin American countries and other sectors of production have elaborately reported about such problems. Apart from these difficulties, there are direct linkages of such production processes with the health hazards. Women are exposed to unhygienic, improper work conditions and elongated working hours, which exposes women to various physiological disorders and medical problems. GENTRADE opens the forum to discuss this topic in order to generate awareness among all policymakers and others related, about the complexities involved in these sectors. We invite all to participate and post comments on their country experiences and suggest policy recommendations in this respect with a simultaneous exchange of information and ideas.

Author

Message

Sona Mitra
Oct 16 2007 7:56AM

The outward-oriented trade liberalization policies promoting export industries created increased employment opportunities for all in general and women in particular in the developing countries across the globe due to the labour intensive character of the production process. Given the fact that trade liberalization policies being pursued for the last two or more decades, this is currently a well-established concept. However, what seems important is the working condition of women in such industries under a changing global order.

It is important to consider the refined and broadened understanding of women’s work by incorporating dimensions not adequately addressed as yet. While the positive effects of increased employment opportunities has imparted a sense of economic independence and improved the bargaining power of women in the households thus moving towards greater gender empowerment, it has also had its share of adverse impacts upon the working women.

Extensive research and case studies related to women’s work have focused on the adverse effects of changes in the world of work, emphasizing low wages, flexibility, high retrenchment rates and precariousness in the export oriented industries. The garments, textiles factories, the so called sweatshops, electronics industries in South and South-East Asian countries, the call centers in India and African nations, horticulture and tourism in Africa and Latin America, the maquiladoras of Mexico and other Latin American countries and other sectors of production have elaborately reported about such problems.

Apart from these difficulties, there are direct linkages of such production processes with the health hazards. Women are exposed to unhygienic, improper work conditions and elongated working hours, which exposes women to various physiological disorders and medical problems.

GENTRADE opens the forum to discuss this topic in order to generate awareness among all policymakers and others related, about the complexities involved in these sectors. We invite all to participate and post comments on their country experiences and suggest policy recommendations in this respect with a simultaneous exchange of information and ideas.