1. Better Jobs for Chinese Women with Family Responsibilities: Policy Options Xiao-yuan Dong University of Winnipeg CEA annual conference June 1, 2013

2. World Bank Report (2013): Three main characters of good jobs  Living standards - Need both money and time  Productivity -Human resources produced daily and across generations  Social cohesion -Women’s household responsibilities - major contributor -Gender - a cross-cutting issue.

3. Chinese women’s market work and household responsibility  Chinese women bear major responsibilities for housework  Unpaid housework amounts to 30% of China’s GDP: 70% contributed by women.  However, the value of housework is not recognized.  Chinese government’s concern : to find the most efficient way of restructuring the productive economy  They assume that social reproduction will adjust accordingly.

4. Social protection for women’s reproductive role  China’s economic reforms : substantial cutbacks on the support of government and the employer for care provisioning  Public spending on social services is low, even by developing country standards a. Public spending on education as share of GDP: China is 3.1%, lower than the level in other countries. b. Pre-school enrolment rate (3-6 years): China in 2008: 47% Chile in 2006: 75.7% Mexico in 2008: 93.1%

5. Social protection for women’s reproductive role  Social protection for women’s reproductive role have been severely eroded.  Under pressure for profits, enterprises are increasingly reluctant to accommodate workers’ care-giving needs.  Protective labor regulations are not implemented in non-public sectors;  Export-oriented FDI and private firms hire primarily young, single migrant women; Female college graduates face labor market discrimination; Workers work long hours and overtime work is widespread.

6. Patriarchal values became more influential Percentage of people who agree "Men should play a major role in society while women should play a major role at home" Surveys of Chinese Women's Status (2000 and 2010)

7. Struggle of working women : Labour participation

8. Working hours and overtime work, 2008 MenWomen All occupations Working hours/week45.743.1 % working ≥ 48 hours44.938.1 Manufacturing Working hours/week48.047.7 % working ≥ 48 hours54.953.6 Commercial services Working hours/week51.049.5 % working ≥ 48 hours61.158.5 Source: China Labor Force Survey

9. Time allocation among men and women 20 to 49 years old, by sector (hours/week) Source: 2008 China Time Use Survey

10. Participation rates of men and women in market work, housework and non-work activities over 24 hours on a weekday WomenMen Source: 2008 China Time Use Survey from Qi and Dong (2013)

11. Housework effects on the monthly earnings of men and women in non-agricultural sectors MenWomen Maximum duration of market work time 0.015***0.023*** Market work being interrupted -0.090***-0.104*** No. of times switching between MW and HW -0.006***-0.005*** Housework time -0.005***-0.004***-0.003***-0.004*** Gender differences in the housework indicators account for 28% of the gender earnings gap (0.226). Source: 2008 China Time Use Survey from Qi and Dong (2013)

12. Earnings differentials between mothers and childless women in urban China (Fix-effects estimates) Source: CHNS from Jia and Dong (2012)

13. % rural men and women aged between 18 and 64 are troubled By mental health problems in 2010 Source: The Third Survey of Chinese Women’s Status by ACWF

14. Acute family-work conflicts may have irreversible demographic consequences Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Database.

15. Policy options  Need social dialogue: - Who should be responsible for taking care of children, the disabled and the elderly?  Acknowledge and support the care economy in macroeconomic policy -Increase public spending on social services and time-saving infrastructural investment -Improve access to ECE and daycare programs by parents from disadvantaged social groups  Enforce protective labor regulations  Promote enterprise social responsibility and family-friendly workplace practice  Encourage men to take on more family responsibilities  Increase women’s voice and political representation