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This social distribution of roles places men in the public sphere
of production and women in the private sphere of reproduction
and care of others. Gender is a social economic variable influenced
by social class, race, religion, economic background, age, etc.
Therefore, a gender perspective on youth and work increases our
capacity to explain and unveil the unequal set of opportunities
and needs between young women and men.
During childhood and adolescence identity is formed through a
process by which young people accept ascribed roles and identify
with given models of behaviour. Gendered roles become a constraining
frame through which identity and life projects are constructed.
Thus, young men are prepared for productive work in adult life
and women as mothers and caregivers. Both life projects have historically
been seen as inevitable and adequate yet, while the former leads
to economic independence and full citizenship, the latter leads
to dependence and delegated citizenship. Therefore, female youth
is clearly distinct from male youth. The fact that reproductive
work, childcare and household chores are seen as the natural responsibility
of women constitutes a major obstacle that women have to confront
in order to achieve equal opportunities. In effect, this attribution
of roles determines an unequal access and control of resources,
which negatively affects women self esteem, self-confidence, and
eventually lowers their social and labour performance. This negative
chain of causes increases the vulnerability of women to family
and sexual violence. It also determines an unequal access to household
goods.
A gender perspective is therefore critical for a better understanding
of youth and labour. Roles are defined at childhood and become
the building block of identity. Therefore as this basic cultural
notions become ingrained in womens beliefs -regarding what
men and woman are supposed to do, what the value of their activities
are and what the relations with their parents and husbands should
be- and translate into the sphere of labour, the basis for the
sexual division of labour is laid out.
In this section a series of documents with a gender perspective
are presented, as well as facts and statistics of Latin America.
New materials are forthcoming.
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