Gender, work, and opportunity in Oaxaca: some thoughts on the importance of women in the economic life of the rural village

Abstract

Rural Oaxaca is plagued with economic problems. There are few jobs available and ideas concerning gender often limit the work that women are able to pursue. In this chapter, we explore how rural Oaxacan women create economic opportunities. We focus on work at home that is both voluntary and remunerative, craft production, and entrepreneurial activities. We show that rural Oaxacan women are able to create unique economic niches that build upon their domestic roles and enhance the economic status of their households.

Citation

Cohen, J.H., Everett, B., Polsky, A. and Montiel-Ishino, F. (2009), "Gender, work, and opportunity in Oaxaca: some thoughts on the importance of women in the economic life of the rural village", Wood, D.C. (Ed.) Economic Development, Integration, and Morality in Asia and the Americas (Research in Economic Anthropology, Vol. 29), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 147-161. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0190-1281(2009)0000029008