A Gendered Analysis of Labour Market Informalization and Access to Health in Chile

Abstract

Health sector reforms across Latin America are replacing the concept of risk-sharing across the population with more individualized approaches to accessing health care, and health insurance schemes have been advocated by the World Bank as a means of helping poor people overcome the risk of ill health. Yet at the same time the lowering of labour standards and the growth of informal workers means that for an increased number of workers, contributing to a health insurance scheme is not feasible. Drawing on evidence from Chile this article examines the gendered dimensions of these processes and highlights the ways in which the gender division of labour means that women are more adversely affected than men.