In the developed economies of the world, women are working outside of the home more than ever before. Likewise, rapid changes in the past half century among developing nations include an increasing number of women who are willing and able to be gainfully employed outside of the domestic sphere. On one hand, this represents an important event because it implies more economic independence for this gender. On the other hand, this reality presents a number of social challenges, especially for those societies where traditional views about -- and expectations of -- women persist in relation to their roles as wives and/or mothers. Moreover, material constraints like poor salaries that make it impossible for some to pay adequately – or pay at all – for support in domestic work and the absence of appropriate and accessible day care options for both children and dependent adults are also key issues. One area of the world in which women are still assigned traditional roles relative to their gender is Latin America. Even though women in the region are increasingly working outside of their homes, in most cases their roles as mothers, caretakers, and/or domestic workers have not changed. In effect, they work a “double shift,” a particularly burdensome reality among low-income, poor resource women. This situation presents a number of development challenges, including the options available for household support and what policy alternatives might be available in order to promote greater gender equity in the region. This course is based on the premise that a relationship exists between domestic and/or care work, women and the development of a country. By reviewing the academic literature and examining policy alternatives, we will explore the evolution of women´s work outside of the home; traditional and emerging views relative to women and domestic and/or care work; and, other models that include greater state involvement and societal support for domestic and care work as prerequisites for gender equity and broader societal development.