NIMBLE FINGERS IN CRIPPLING WORK: Occupational Health and Safety of Women Workers of Electronics Firms in Special Economic Zones in Imus, Cavite and Carmona, Cavite

Abstract

The contribution of SEZs to the Philippine economy in terms of attracting investment, promoting export-oriented growth, and generating employment has been strikingly clear since 1995. Locally, ecozones are majorly composed of manufacturing industries where a larger fraction of women labor participation compared with other industries can be observed. Despite the considerable impact of SEZs on increased employment for women in these industries, the kind of jobs they take up has produced negative implications for their health. Compliance to occupational health and safety standards and access to OSH services and compensation have been increasingly more difficult for the ecozones in the context of rapid technological change and global economic interconnectedness. This study aims to investigate this issue in the experiences of women employed in electronics firms located within special economic zones in Imus, Cavite and Carmona, Cavite by inquiring into the contextual factors that affect their occupational health and safety. Through an explanatory case study approach, a total of 14 women currently employed in the electronics firms were interviewed to form part of the primary data. Government publications, organizational records, online databases, and existing literature were collected as secondary data. Work schedules, wages, domestic demands, and monotony of work are identified as key factors that affect the overall situation of workers in the electronics firms. This was supported by the phenomena of occupational downgrading and double burden revealed to be experienced by female workers. Findings of the study suggest that forms of gender inequality continue to characterize women’s employment in the firms as determined by discriminatory practices that surround efforts to uphold and advance women's rights to health at work. Effective occupational health and safety policies and programs that support, protect, and uphold women's rights while addressing growing social inequities are essential to enhancing women’s opportunities for decent and high-quality work.