Labor Substitution in Philippine Rice Farming Systems: An Analysis of Gender Work Roles
Author(s)
Tisch, S. J.; Paris, T. R.
Abstract
The effect of rice technology adoption on gender work roles of husbands and wives is examined in two rice ecosystems in the Philippines. Technology use is likely to be less labor-constrained if the work roles of men and women are flexible. Labor substitution between farming husbands and wives then occurs in response to economic pressures rather than being restricted by predetermined gender roles. The analysis of farm-level data from four villages indicates that work roles are more fluid than suspected and labor substitution occurs between husbands and wives in response to economic opportunities. The adoption of the labor-saving direct-seeded rice technique releases wives’ labor on partially-irrigated rice farms more than on rainfed rice farms.
