The Hidden Assembly Line : Gender Dynamics of Subcontracted Work in a Global Economy

* Looks at the economic trends impacting Asian women and subcontracted labor, illuminating the lives of the millions of women struggling in low-wage jobs
* Presents case studies from Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and India
* Provides examples of strategic responses from NGOs, unions, and activists

The Hidden Assembly Line studies the impact of subcontracted work in different national settings, linking it to the global economy and to changes in women’s financial security and work opportunities. The contributors debate the implications for women’s empowerment and for the changing social relations of production.

This book contains clear, practical information for scholars, students and researchers interested in women’s roles regarding economic development and the globalization of the world economy.

Radhika Balakrishnan is Professor of Economics and International Studies and coordinates the International Studies program at Marymount Manhattan University. She earned her Ph.D. in economics from Rutgers University, she also has worked as a program officer at the Ford Foundation. Her fields of research include gender and economic development, global inequality and labor issues. She is interested in the connection between global economic institutions and cross border organizing, the relationship between changing conditions of work, gender dynamics and the global economy in addition to theology and ethics.