ABSTRACT
The entry of large numbers of women into the Free Trade Zones’ (FTZs) labour force, as a result of the restructuring of capital in the late 1960s, is of considerable economic and social significance. Owing to the setting up of FTZs, a new stratum was added to the already existing and often organised workforce. This new layer of workers is mainly composed of young women, of whom a significant percentage are single and have limited experience in waged employment. In many places the women came from rural areas and lived either within the FTZ compounds or within close access to the zone, in boarding houses. Within these ‘industrial zones’ various firms are encouraged to set up factories which produce for the world market. Special authorities are granted the responsibility for all negotiations with foreign and local
investors, control of labour relations, implementation of labour laws and in some cases recruitment of labour.
