Working Women in Socialist Countries: The Fertility Connection.

Abstract

The focus of this publication is the interaction between female employment and fertility in 6 socialist countries: Bulgaria Czechoslovakia Hungary Poland Cuba and the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. The country studies that comprise the book were carried out as part of a global project funded by the United Nations Fund for Population Activities on Demographic Change and the Role of Women. Women are fully integrated into the economies of these socialist countries comprising nearly half of the labor force in all but Cuba where the rate is 31%. This high level of female labor force participation reflects the strong ideological commitment of socialist governments to equal economic and social rights for men and women as well as a high demand for labor in socialist economies. In addition the sexual division of labor in the workplace in socialist countries is significantly more equal than in market economy countries at similar stages of development. Nonetheless large male-female income differentials persist. There are some indications that women in socialist countries frequently view themselves as secondary earners and are in the work force to supplement their husbands earnings. The persistence of the traditional sexual division of labor within the home has impeded full sexual equality. The country studies suggest that fertility and labor force participation are negatively related as far as the spacing and timing of births is concerned. There has been a shift toward fertility at younger ages (below 25 years) and the emergence of a 2-child norm. Although social policies such as large family allowances and leave provisions appear to have stimulated temporary increases in fertility they do not appear to have exerted a major effect on completed family size.

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