From US$30 to US$20: On how to support family caregiving and make it a legitimate choice (Estela Rivero and Anairis Hernández Jabalera)
The causes and consequences of the sexual division of labor are fairly well known. Something that has not been as well documented, and that can have important implications for women, their families, and society in general is that population structures are changing in many countries, and with this transition will come a change in caregiving needs. With the objective of providing a guideline for the formulation of public policies in Mexico, this paper analyzes the need for caregiving, in time and monetary units, at present and over the next 50 years. We also analyze who is responsible for these tasks. A last component of this paper links the demographic changes predicted for the next 50 years with the demands for caregiving in order to demonstrate how the dynamics of these two phenomena will interact if current trends continue. This exercise is useful to illustrate the possible consequences of the increased demand for caregiving in the future and the costs that this will imply for society.