84 Gender Matters
interviews and prolonged observations on the day to day lives of
the workers, both at home and in the workplace, to have a clearer
understanding of the factors that contribute to their well-being.
More important to highlight is the study’s findings that
well-being score for each dimension does not differ whether the
respondent is male or female. The researchers concluded that gender
is not a factor in achieving well-being. It may be true that there
was no significant difference in the perception of well-being between
females and males, plausibly due to the fact that the respondents
were young college graduates with relatively lesser or no reproductive
obligations. The result may not be the same in case of married men
and married women, or even to solo parents or single mothers.
Moreover, it may also be important to explore the researchers’
findings that many of the respondents were breadwinners, and that
majority of them were still living with their parents. Does this mean
that their household obligations or needs are being taken care of by
their families? Do they have complete freedom to decide on matters
such as how to spend their money, where to go after their work, or
how to spend their free times?
All in all, majority of the above-cited literature on the effects
of working in call center have not fully scrutinized the gendered
impact of BPO work on women.
Gender Matters in the Workplace: Studies on the Effects of
Call Center Work on Women
The question regarding the gender-differentiated effect of
call center work on women is by no means new. Taylor and Bain
(2005) mentioned that women, who constitute half the workforce,
are particularly affected by conflicts between working hours and
the demands of task performance, and domestic, family and social
responsibilities and expectations. Ofreneo et al. (2007) cited the
findings of the Occupational Health and Safety Center (OHSC)
under the Department of Labor and Employment, which singled
out the health and safety problems facing women employees in the
CC-BPO industry, especially the solo parents, the pregnant women,
and the lactating mothers. Asuncion (2008), commenting on an
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