El uso del tiempo de las mujeres jefas de hogar en Costa Rica. Un análisis a partir de la Encuesta Nacional de Uso del Tiempo en Costa Rica (2017).

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the social inequalities experienced by Costa Rican female heads of household and migrant female heads
of household living in Costa Rica, in terms of time use and distribution in relation to the work, both paid and unpaid, that they perform. Based on the conceptualization of care regimes, it is shown that migrant women  eads of household do more work than Costa Rican women in the same position. This study is carried out based on analysis of the following quantitative data: participation rate, average social time, average effective time, and the global workload of women heads of household (both Costa Ricans and migrants), as based on the National Survey on Time Use conducted in Costa Rica in 2017. 44.8% of all Costa Rican households in poverty have a
female head of household; this is a significant figure that demonstrates the relevance of analyzing this type of household, which is mediated by a structural gender condition related to care regimes in the country, and that determines the well-being of these women and their families.
At the same time, it is debated why women heads of households in general, but even more so for impoverished migrants, comprise the group that is left behind in the wake of the
country’s economic and social development.