ABSTRACT
The life courses of rural women in the English-speaking Caribbean differ significantly from those experienced in other parts of the world. The contemporary Caribbean pattern has its roots in slavery and the plantation system. During the period of slavery, women were expected to perform much of the heaviest labour in the sugar cane fields, with little respite for pregnancy, childbirth or breast-feeding. The restrictions on marriage enforced by slave owners weakened the conjugal ties, while leaving intact the mother—child bond. After full emancipation of the slaves in 1838, male ex-slaves had the freedom to migrate in search of new economic opportunities but former female slaves found their freedom of movement limited by childcare responsibilities. Sex-specific migration encouraged the further expansion of female-headed households. Today in the Eastern Caribbean, 35 per cent of households have female heads and about one-third of small farms are run by women (Momsen 1988a: 88). Some two-thirds of children are born out of wedlock. Marriage is often entered into only after the reproductive life stage is complete; it is seen as providing respectability for older women, rather than economic support and legal status for children.
