IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/ijlaec/v65y2022i3d10.1007_s41027-022-00388-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

An Intriguing Puzzle of Female Labour Force Participation: Comparative Study of Selected South Asian Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Prema Basargekar

    (Somaiya Vidhyavihar University)

  • Pushpendra Singh

    (Somaiya Vidhyavihar University)

Abstract

Female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) is a very important indicator to assess the gender status in the economy, and it affects the economic growth in positive way. Usually, FLFPR rises with economic growth as more job opportunities are created with structural diversification. FLFPR in South Asian countries poses an intriguing challenge as this phenomenon is not clearly seen. Specifically, the countries like India and Sri Lanka do not show the ‘U’-shaped feminization phenomenon with economic progress as experienced by many developed countries. The research shows that along with economic growth many other gender and cultural factors are vital for impacting FLFPR. The present study attempts to find out the impact of socio-economic and gender factors on FLFPR of the selected South Asian countries such as India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal. It makes use of the macroeconomic indicators collated from secondary data. The study shows that there is a high level of heterogeneity in FLFPR within these five counties. It is due to their unique socio-economic structure and the development path which they are following. The study further proves that gender status and gender empowerment policies play very important role in reducing the supply-side constraints and positively affecting the demand-side factors required to improve FLFPR.

Suggested Citation

  • Prema Basargekar & Pushpendra Singh, 2022. "An Intriguing Puzzle of Female Labour Force Participation: Comparative Study of Selected South Asian Countries," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 65(3), pages 881-895, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ijlaec:v:65:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s41027-022-00388-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s41027-022-00388-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s41027-022-00388-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s41027-022-00388-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Humaira Husain, 2016. "Economic Development, Women Empowerment and U Shaped Labour Force Function : Time Series Evidence for Bangladesh," Asian Economic and Financial Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 6(12), pages 719-728, December.
    2. Misbah Tanveer Choudhry & Paul Elhorst, 2018. "Female labour force participation and economic development," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 39(7), pages 896-912, October.
    3. Vinod Mishra & Ingrid Nielsen & Russell Smyth, 2010. "On the relationship between female labour force participation and fertility in G7 countries: evidence from panel cointegration and Granger causality," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 38(2), pages 361-372, April.
    4. Mishra, Vinod & Smyth, Russell, 2010. "Female labor force participation and total fertility rates in the OECD: New evidence from panel cointegration and Granger causality testing," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 48-64, January.
    5. repec:ilo:ilowps:483489 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Sunita Sanghi & A Srija & Shirke Shrinivas Vijay, 2015. "Decline in Rural Female Labour Force Participation in India: A Relook into the Causes," Vikalpa: The Journal for Decision Makers, , vol. 40(3), pages 255-268, September.
    7. Amaia Altuzarra & Catalina Gálvez-Gálvez & Ana González-Flores, 2019. "Economic Development and Female Labour Force Participation: The Case of European Union Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-18, April.
    8. Anna Fruttero & Daniel Gurara & Lisa L Kolovich & Vivian Malta & Marina Mendes Tavares & Nino Tchelishvili & Stefania Fabrizio, 2020. "Women in the Labor Force; The Role of Fiscal Policies," IMF Staff Discussion Notes 20/03, International Monetary Fund.
    9. A. Chevalier & T. K. Viitanen, 2002. "The causality between female labour force participation and the availability of childcare," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(14), pages 915-918.
    10. Rahman, Rushidan I. & Islam, Rizwanul., 2013. "Female labour force participation in Bangladesh : trends, drivers and barriers," ILO Working Papers 994834893402676, International Labour Organization.
    11. Najeeb,Fatima & Morales,Matias & Lopez-Acevedo,Gladys C., 2020. "Analyzing Female Employment Trends in South Asia," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9157, The World Bank.
    12. Chi-Wei Su & Zheng-Zheng Li & Ran Tao & Oana-Ramona Lobonţ, 2019. "Can economic development boost the active female labor force?," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 53(2), pages 1021-1036, March.
    13. Goldin, Claudia, 1992. "Understanding the Gender Gap: An Economic History of American Women," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780195072709.
    14. Mehrotra, Santosh & Parida, Jajati K., 2017. "Why is the Labour Force Participation of Women Declining in India?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 360-380.
    15. Rob Euwals & Marike Knoef & Daniel Vuuren, 2011. "The trend in female labour force participation: what can be expected for the future?," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 40(3), pages 729-753, May.
    16. Humaira Husain, 2016. "Economic Development, Women Empowerment and U Shaped Labour Force Function : Time Series Evidence for Bangladesh," Asian Economic and Financial Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 6(12), pages 719-728.
    17. Esha Chatterjee & Sonalde Desai & Reeve Vanneman, 2018. "Indian paradox: Rising education, declining womens' employment," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 38(31), pages 855-878.
    18. Rob Euwals & Marike Knoef & Daniel Vuuren, 2011. "The trend in female labour force participation: what can be expected for the future?," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 40(3), pages 729-753, May.
    19. Anna Fruttero & Daniel Gurara & Ms. Lisa L Kolovich & Vivian Malta & Ms. Marina Mendes Tavares & Nino Tchelishvili & Ms. Stefania Fabrizio, 2020. "Women in the Labor Force: The Role of Fiscal Policies," IMF Staff Discussion Notes 2020/003, International Monetary Fund.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Prathi Seneviratne, 2017. "Female Labour Force Participation and Economic Development in Labour Abundant Countries: Evidence from Sri Lanka," Working Papers 2017-02, Carleton College, Department of Economics.
    2. Seneviratne, Prathi, 2020. "Gender wage inequality during Sri Lanka’s post-reform growth: A distributional analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    3. Yew Seng Law & Chung-Khain Wye, 2023. "The effects of fertility on female labour force participation in OECD countries: the role of education and health," Studies in Economics and Econometrics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(3), pages 280-302, July.
    4. Alessandra Costagliola, 2021. "Labor Participation and Gender Inequalities in India: Traditional Gender Norms in India and the Decline in the Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR)," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 64(3), pages 531-542, September.
    5. Ishita Pal & Balhasan Ali & Preeti Dhillon & Neelanjana Pandey, 2021. "Factors Determining Paid and Unpaid Work in Young Adults: Evidence from a Cohort Study in Bihar, India," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 64(1), pages 133-153, March.
    6. Seema Narayan & Tri Tung Nguyen & Xuan-Hoa Nghiem, 2021. "Does Economic Integration Increase Female Labour Force Participation? Labour Force Participation?," Bulletin of Monetary Economics and Banking, Bank Indonesia, vol. 24(1), pages 1-34, March.
    7. Vendrik, M.C.M. & Cörvers, F., 2009. "Male and female labour force participation: the role of dynamic adjustments to changes in labour demand, government policies and autonomous trends," Research Memorandum 036, Maastricht University, Maastricht Research School of Economics of Technology and Organization (METEOR).
    8. Lee, Grace H.Y. & Lee, Sing Ping, 2014. "Childcare availability, fertility and female labor force participation in Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 71-85.
    9. An Liu & Inge Noback, 2011. "Determinants of regional female labour market participation in the Netherlands," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 47(3), pages 641-658, December.
    10. Stefan Groot, 2011. "Wages in the Netherlands: a Micro Approach," ERSA conference papers ersa10p1526, European Regional Science Association.
    11. Mustafizur Rahman & Marzuka Md. Al-Hasan, 2019. "Women in Bangladesh Labour Market: Determinants of Participation, Gender Wage Gap and Returns to Schooling," CPD Working Paper 124, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
    12. Tiago V. de V. Cavalcanti & Jose Tavares, 2003. "Women prefer larger governments: female labor supply and public spending," Nova SBE Working Paper Series wp433, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Nova School of Business and Economics.
    13. Subrata SAHA & Arifa SULTANA & Sanjoy Kumar SAHA, 2022. "Determinants Of Female Labor Force Participation In Tangail District In Bangladesh: A Logistic Regression Analysis," CrossCultural Management Journal, Fundația Română pentru Inteligența Afacerii, Editorial Department, issue 1, pages 45-57, July.
    14. Piotr Lewandowski & Iga Magda & Jan Baran & Olena Fedyuk & Attila Bartha, 2013. "Gender Dimensions of the Labour Markets over the Past Two Decades," IBS Working Papers 1/2013, Instytut Badan Strukturalnych.
    15. Alison Andrew & Orazio Attanasio & Britta Augsburg & Jere Behrman & Monimalika Day & Pamela Jervis & Costas Meghir & Angus Phimister, 2020. "Mothers’ Social Networks and Socioeconomic Gradients of Isolation," NBER Working Papers 28049, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Ana María Iregui-Bohórquez & Ligia Alba Melo-Becerra & María Teresa Ramírez-Giraldo & Ana María Tribín-Uribe & Héctor M. Zárate-Solano, 2023. "Unraveling the Factors Behind Women's Empowerment in the Labor Market in Colombia," Borradores de Economia 1250, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    17. Varsha Gupta, 2021. "Female Employment in India: Tracking Trends During 2005–2019," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 64(3), pages 803-823, September.
    18. Asrifa Hossain & Shankar Ghimire & Anna Valeva & Jessica Harriger-Lin, 2022. "Does Globalization Encourage Female Employment? A Cross-Country Panel Study," World, MDPI, vol. 3(2), pages 1-13, March.
    19. Mohammad Niaz Asadullah & Zaki Wahhaj, 2019. "Female Seclusion from Paid Work: A Social Norm or Cultural Preference?," Working Papers ECARES 2019-10, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    20. Mustafizur Rahman & Md. Al-Hasan, 2022. "The Reverse Gender Wage Gap in Bangladesh: Demystifying the Counterintuitive," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 65(4), pages 929-950, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:ijlaec:v:65:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s41027-022-00388-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.