Gender, Globalization and Feminization of Division of Labour

Differences between men and women in terms of economic contribution are largely socially constructed instead of being rooted in biological factors. Domestic work such as childcare and household work has traditionally been viewed as jobs primarily for females to perform. These types of jobs are frequently viewed as less productive and contributing less to the national economy than jobs traditionally associated with male workers. Thus, most governments are now encouraging women to be incorporated to the formal work that pay taxes. With the rapid wave of global capitalism, multinational corporations have spread across the globe. Developing nations embrace this trend and compete with each other to invite foreign direct investment, since they see this as an opportunity to improve government revenue. This has created significant changes in the labour force around the world, including the composition of men and women in the workforce. This reflective essay attempts to explain the relation between gender, globalization and the feminization of labour. It argues that the process of globalization has produced tendency toward feminization of division of labour particularly labour-intensive industry in developing countries. The ongoing trade war between United States and China may have escalated this trend by having more Chinese factories move to lower labour cost countries in Southeast Asia. This paper suggests that in relation with neo-liberal approach, globalization and economic integration only give benefits to the rich in terms of state and individual, female factory workers seem far away to be the winner (at least equal) in the labour force and gender relationship within workers’ organization.