ABSTRACT
In this chapter we argue that there are important gender issues involved in the division of labor throughout the world. We claim that there is a Global Gender Division of Labor (GGDoL), suggest an institutionalist perspective to explain its existence and persistence, and finally draw attention to some important developments that have an impact on the GGDoL. The institutionalist perspective allows us to suggest what effects, such as global financial crises, trade liberalization, and information and communications technologies (ICT) have on the position of women and on the GGDoL. We argue that the effects on the position of women are through the institutions that make for the implicit gender contract, and that these effects are likely to influence the GGDoL in a way that is not always beneficial to women.
