Area of Inquiry 1: Sexual/Gendered Division of Labor

Work permeates all parts of people’s lives – in public and domestic spheres. In many societies, gender norms influence who is allowed to do certain types of work, and who is expected to complete certain tasks. Specific household duties and types of work may confer specific sets of opportunities, constraints and status for individuals. This differentiation may reinforce or transform gender inequalities.

Our programming needs to take these dynamics into account not only to avoid reinforcing gender inequalities and unintentional harms (e.g. women gain employment in the formal sector but remain fully responsible for all household duties), but also to seek opportunities to loosen rigid gender norms about what an individual is “allowed to” and “capable of” doing based on their gender (e.g. it is socially acceptable for men to cook for their families and for women to sell labor). Gendered divisions of labor can exist in all realms of work – whether paid or unpaid, informal or formal, productive (commercial) or reproductive (domestic, care-giving, household-maintenance).

Thinking about your project activities, how are they affected by and affect the gendered division of labor? Are there shifts in the household division of labor? Are these shifts shared equitably?

Agency	Structures	Relations	Related Tools
What personal skills, abilities, knowledge or attitudes will a man or woman need to be able to negotiate division of labor?Collectively, what skills or strategies are women or men using to negotiate gendered division of labor? What types of roles do women or men play within the local community or broader family networks? What types of positions or sectors do women or men occupy at the national level?	How do customs and norms shape women’s options for productive (paid) work compared with men? What is the value given to such work? Are wages for men and women equal?What are the implications on opportunities, choices, time, mobility and social support of men and women, girls and boys in relation to these customs and norms? Are working conditions safe for both men and women? Do they account for pregnant or breastfeeding women? What services, laws or policies exist to support men and women’s livelihoods? How accessible are these services? What is their quality and budget? What kinds of civil society organizations are advocating for change in gendered division of labor?  What changes are they seeking?  How is CARE’s programming connected to civil society demands in this area of inquiry?	What livelihood networks (clan, cooperatives, labor groups, VSLA) do women benefit from or contribute to? What are the positive and negative consequences for women who successfully control assets? How do women, men, girls or boys interact/negotiate: In household management? In interacting with clients or bosses? In relating with service providers and officials? Collectively – how do women, men, girls or boys mobilize or advocate around this issue and with whom? How are CARE’s programs relating to groups’ goals and actions? How are these groups related to other key stakeholders/institutions (private enterprise, government, religious institutions, etc.)?	Higher Level Conditions Macro-Secondary Analysis Policy Analysis Governance Analysis Key Informant Interviews Gender Norms and Trends Community Dynamics Network Analysis Wage Analysis, Crop Matrix Exploitation Analysis Seasonal Calendars Dependency/Influence Mapping Key Informant Interviews Field Observation Household Dynamics Intra-Household Decision-Making Income and Expenditures Matrices or Pie Charts Daily Time Use / A Day in the Life

 

Special note for children and adolescents

Girl and boy children and adolescents are often socialized very differently in the household and in school settings.

• How are children socialized to be responsible for certain tasks and roles in this context? Why are girls and boys expected to do different kinds of tasks?
• How many hours a day are girls doing domestic work compared to boys?
• Do household responsibilities shift to girls and/or boys when caregivers become more engaged in civic participation (including CARE’s programming) or livelihood activities?
• Are girls or boys expected to engage in income generating work outside the home to contribute to family support? If so, what types of work are they engaged in? Who controls the proceeds? Is it different for girls and for boys?

 

Reminder: Situating Analysis in Broader Context

Across each area of inquiry, consider how gender relations interact with the analysis of broader context in relation to gender:

• Cultural norms and values
• Policies and laws related to human rights, especially implementation pertinent to women’s rights
• Broader Development: Information on edu. attainment, literacy, incomes and livelihoods, mobility, workload, health, nutrition, morbidity/mortality, violence, etc., by sex.
• Experiences, attitudes, opinions of critical groups and actors in the context, and their relations with one another as well as with groups of women.