Maquiladoras and market mamas: women's work and childcare in Guatemala City and Accra

This study analyzes work, childcare arrangements, and earnings of mothers in the poor neighborhoods of Guatemala City and Greater Accra, Ghana, two urban areas where formal- and informal-sector work differ in importance. Unlike previous studies on childcare that take mother's work status as given, t...

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Main Authors: Quisumbing, Agnes R., Hallman, Kelly, Ruel, Marie T.
Format: Artículo preliminar
Language:Inglés
Published: International Food Policy Research Institute 2003
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/155864
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author Quisumbing, Agnes R.
Hallman, Kelly
Ruel, Marie T.
author_browse Hallman, Kelly
Quisumbing, Agnes R.
Ruel, Marie T.
author_facet Quisumbing, Agnes R.
Hallman, Kelly
Ruel, Marie T.
author_sort Quisumbing, Agnes R.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This study analyzes work, childcare arrangements, and earnings of mothers in the poor neighborhoods of Guatemala City and Greater Accra, Ghana, two urban areas where formal- and informal-sector work differ in importance. Unlike previous studies on childcare that take mother's work status as given, this paper treats childcare choice and labor force participation of women as joint decisions. Our empirical results indicate that participation in the labor market and use of formal day care are, in fact, jointly determined. In both Guatemala and Accra, life cycle and household demographic factors, notably child age, appear to have important effects on both decisions. In both cities, higher household wealth reduces the mothers' chances of working, presumably via an income effect. Controlling for endogeneity of labor market participation and formal day-care use, in Guatemala, day-care prices do not have significant impacts on earnings; neither does the number of day-care centers within a 10-minute walk affect earnings in Accra. In Guatemala, maternal education is an important determinant of utilization of formal day care, but does not have large effects on whether she works for pay or not. In contrast, in Accra, maternal education does not affect either the demand for formal care or the decision to work. In Guatemala, greater travel time from home to the day-care center reduces utilization of this type of care, but a larger supply of day-care centers in the community does not affect use of formal care in Accra. The lack of importance of formal day-care supply variables in Accra -- compared to the effect of some variables such as travel time to day-care centers in Guatemala -- suggests that provision of formal day care may not be as critical an intervention to increase mothers' labor force participation rates in cities where the informal sector dominates, such as in Accra. In more urbanized settings like Guatemala City, where the formal sector generates a higher proportion of jobs for women, formal day care is more important to mothers' decision to work. -- Author's Abstract
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spelling CGSpace1558642025-11-06T07:01:04Z Maquiladoras and market mamas: women's work and childcare in Guatemala City and Accra Quisumbing, Agnes R. Hallman, Kelly Ruel, Marie T. rural poor livelihoods urban development child care gender remuneration urban areas female labour decision making poverty This study analyzes work, childcare arrangements, and earnings of mothers in the poor neighborhoods of Guatemala City and Greater Accra, Ghana, two urban areas where formal- and informal-sector work differ in importance. Unlike previous studies on childcare that take mother's work status as given, this paper treats childcare choice and labor force participation of women as joint decisions. Our empirical results indicate that participation in the labor market and use of formal day care are, in fact, jointly determined. In both Guatemala and Accra, life cycle and household demographic factors, notably child age, appear to have important effects on both decisions. In both cities, higher household wealth reduces the mothers' chances of working, presumably via an income effect. Controlling for endogeneity of labor market participation and formal day-care use, in Guatemala, day-care prices do not have significant impacts on earnings; neither does the number of day-care centers within a 10-minute walk affect earnings in Accra. In Guatemala, maternal education is an important determinant of utilization of formal day care, but does not have large effects on whether she works for pay or not. In contrast, in Accra, maternal education does not affect either the demand for formal care or the decision to work. In Guatemala, greater travel time from home to the day-care center reduces utilization of this type of care, but a larger supply of day-care centers in the community does not affect use of formal care in Accra. The lack of importance of formal day-care supply variables in Accra -- compared to the effect of some variables such as travel time to day-care centers in Guatemala -- suggests that provision of formal day care may not be as critical an intervention to increase mothers' labor force participation rates in cities where the informal sector dominates, such as in Accra. In more urbanized settings like Guatemala City, where the formal sector generates a higher proportion of jobs for women, formal day care is more important to mothers' decision to work. -- Author's Abstract 2003 2024-10-24T12:42:42Z 2024-10-24T12:42:42Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/155864 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Hallman, Kelly; Ruel, Marie T. 2003. Maquiladoras and market mamas: women's work and childcare in Guatemala City and Accra. FCND Discussion Paper 153. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/155864
spellingShingle rural poor
livelihoods
urban development
child care
gender
remuneration
urban areas
female labour
decision making
poverty
Quisumbing, Agnes R.
Hallman, Kelly
Ruel, Marie T.
Maquiladoras and market mamas: women's work and childcare in Guatemala City and Accra
title Maquiladoras and market mamas: women's work and childcare in Guatemala City and Accra
title_full Maquiladoras and market mamas: women's work and childcare in Guatemala City and Accra
title_fullStr Maquiladoras and market mamas: women's work and childcare in Guatemala City and Accra
title_full_unstemmed Maquiladoras and market mamas: women's work and childcare in Guatemala City and Accra
title_short Maquiladoras and market mamas: women's work and childcare in Guatemala City and Accra
title_sort maquiladoras and market mamas women s work and childcare in guatemala city and accra
topic rural poor
livelihoods
urban development
child care
gender
remuneration
urban areas
female labour
decision making
poverty
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/155864
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AT hallmankelly maquiladorasandmarketmamaswomensworkandchildcareinguatemalacityandaccra
AT ruelmariet maquiladorasandmarketmamaswomensworkandchildcareinguatemalacityandaccra