Choice Review

The International Labour Office commissioned this collection of studies on the status of women in the labor force in Third World countries. The volume contains an overview of employment conditions of female workers throughout the Third World and several case studies of the treatment of women in particular labor markets. These case studies investigate the barriers on both demand and supply sides of the market that limit women's opportunities for employment and promotion. Attitudes of employers and employees provide interesting insights into the effects of sex on recruitment, job level at entry, promotion, and earnings. While each labor market is affected by the unique cultural and institutional contexts in which it exists, there are similarities that run throughout the urban employment markets in the developing countries. The experiences of women denied access to ``nonfeminine'' jobs is exacerbated by their homemaker and maternal responsibilities. When these additional demands are made on women, their workplace performance suffers and reinforces employer prejudice on hiring and promotion. This research will be of interest to a narrow group of graduate students and faculty specializing in Third World labor and/or women's issues.-W.C. Bonifield, Lilly Endowment