PERI - Developing Care: Recent Research on the Care Economy and Economic Development

September 26, 2018 | Research Report

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Headline: The Care Economy in Developing Economies
Intro Text: This paper by PERI economist Nancy Folbre reviews recent research on unpaid care work in the Global South. The projects that Folbre reviews use a range of research methods to compare women’s unpaid care burdens in several developing countries. The results show that programs designed to increase women’s opportunities to earn income are typically hampered by inadequate provision for child care, leading to increased economic stress and longer work days. This research supports arguments that developing countries should invest more heavily in social and physical infrastructure to improve the productivity of unpaid work and reduce the burden placed on women as family caregivers.
Type of publication: Research Report
Research or In The Media: Research
Research Area: Gender and Care Work
Publication Date: 2018-09-26
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Authors:
- Add Authors: Nancy Folbre
Show in Front Page Modules: Yes
Publisher: International Development Research Centre

Developing Care: Recent Research on the Care Economy and Economic Development

This research report was funded and supported by Canada's International Development Research Centre.

Abstract

Policy makers are beginning to appreciate the constraints that unpaid care work imposes on both economic development and the empowerment of women in low-income countries. Empirical research on these topics is in its infancy but is already yielding significant results. This paper contextualizes and reviews recent research on unpaid care work in the Global South, with a particular focus on projects funded through the multi-donor Growth and Economic Opportunities for Women (GrOW) program and other care-related research supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). These projects use national time-use survey data, mixed-methods field research including qualitative interviews, and experimental and quasi-experimental methods to compare women’s unpaid care burdens in a variety of developing country contexts, including China, India, Kenya, Nepal, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Vietnam.