Globalization, Women’s Work, and Care Needs: The Urgency of Reconciliation Policies

This article is international in scope, focusing on demographic trends in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. It examines the impact of increasing female participation in the workforce on childcare. It notes several contributing factors to this phenomenon, including a rising cost of living, rising rates of female education, and smaller family size. The article’s analysis section documents how this has created a “crisis of care” that has been filled by immigrant workers hired to do domestic work. This article discusses the detrimental effects of this emerging labour market on the families of the migrants themselves, and it recommends reconciliation policies and practices designed to make childcare more accessible for families.