ABSTRACT
Juana Santana works in the free trade zone of La Romana in the Dominican Republic and sustains her family of three children on her weekly salary of DR$57 (in 1986 about U.S.$20), which must cover household costs including food, rent, the baby-sitter, and her own expenses such as transportation and lunch. Her husband earns some money driving a taxi (público) owned by his family, but like many of the men living with the women workers in the free trade zones, he does not have a stable job. With three children to support, her husband's unstable income, and the high cost of living, Juana knows she has to continue working. She notes: "Anyway, I have to work, either in the zone or in a private home [as a domestic], anyway, because I, I cannot be dependent on my husband. Because what he earns is not enough, to help my family and to help me here at home."
