Gender, Time Use, and Change : The Impact of the Cut Flower Industry in Ecuador

This article uses survey data from
Ecuador to examine the effects of women's employment on
the allocation of paid and unpaid labor within the
household. The reader compares a region with high demand for
female labor with a similar region in which demand for
female labor is low. The comparison suggests that market
labor opportunities for women have no effect on women's
total time in labor but increase men's time in unpaid
labor. The increase in men's time in unpaid work
reflects women's increased bargaining power in the home.