Some structural constraints on the agricultural activities of women : the Chilean hacienda

THE DATA, DRAWN FROM CHILE, CONCERN MALE AND FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN THE AGRICULTURAL LABOR FORCE AS RECORDED IN GENERAL AND AGRICULTURAL CENSUSES. SINCE 1930 THE RELATIVE WEIGHT OF THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR HAS DECLINED, AS HAS THE RATE OF LABOR FORCE ABSORPTION IN AGRICULTURE. HOWEVER, THE LABOR FORCE ABSORPTION RATES FOR MEN ARE CONSIDERABLY HIGHER THAN THE RATES FOR WOMEN. SINCE 1935 IMPORTANT CHANGES HAVE OCCURED IN THE RELATIVE WEIGHTS OF DIFFERENT OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORIES WITHIN THE AGRICULTURAL LABOR FORCE. THE NUMBERS OF PERSONS EMPLOYED AS PERMANENT, RESIDENT WORKERS ON LARGE ESTATES DECLINED WHILE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EMPLOYED AS TEMPORARY WAGE LABORERS INCREASED. DURING THIS SAME PERIOD, WOMEN WERE DISPLACED FROM PERMANENT, RESIDENT EMPLOYMENT, BUT WERE NOT ABSORBED INTO TEMPORARY WAGE LABOR; THEY WERE INCREASINGLY CONFINED TO THE SMALLER FARMS AS UNREMUNERATED FAMILY MEMBERS. THESE TRENDS ARE EXAMINED IN SOME DETAIL IN THE BODY OF THIS ANALYSIS.