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Female Labour Force Participation in the MENA Region: The Role of Identity

Author

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  • Hayo Bernd

    (Philipps-University Marburg, Universitaetsstr. 24, 35037 Marburg, Germany)

  • Caris Tobias

    (Philipps-University Marburg, Universitaetsstr. 24, 35037 Marburg, Germany)

Abstract

We investigate why female labour market participation is low in the MENA region. Utilising Akerlof and Kranton’s (2000) “identity economics” approach, we show in a simple game-theoretic framework that women socialised in a traditional family environment violate their identities by taking a job. In the empirical analysis, we study the respective impact of two determinants of identity in the MENA region, Islam and cultural tradition. Employing two waves of the World Values Survey, we find significant evidence that identity affects female labour market participation. Moreover, our estimates suggest that in the MENA region, Muslim women do not participate in the labour market less than non-Muslim women, whereas those with strong traditional identities have a 5 percentage point lower probability of entering the labour market.

Suggested Citation

  • Hayo Bernd & Caris Tobias, 2013. "Female Labour Force Participation in the MENA Region: The Role of Identity," Review of Middle East Economics and Finance, De Gruyter, vol. 9(3), pages 271-292, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:rmeecf:v:9:y:2013:i:3:p:271-292:n:4
    DOI: 10.1515/rmeef-2013-0021
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Fischer, Justina AV & Aydıner-Avşar, Nursel, 2015. "Are women in the MENA region really that different from women in Europe? Globalization, conservative values and female labor market participation," MPRA Paper 63800, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Moundir Lassassi & Aysit Tansel, 2022. "Female labor force participation in Egypt and Palestine: An age–period–cohort analysis," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(4), pages 1997-2020, November.
    4. Ishac Diwan & Irina Vartanova, 2017. "The Effect of Patriarchal Culture on Women’s Labor Force Participation," Working Papers 1101, Economic Research Forum, revised 06 Jan 2017.
    5. World Bank Group, 2015. "Morocco - Mind the Gap," World Bank Publications - Reports 24004, The World Bank Group.
    6. Fischer, Justina A.V. & Pastore, Francesco, 2015. "Tempora mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis: Religion and Female Employment over Time," IZA Discussion Papers 9244, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Ragui Assaad & Rana Hendy & Moundir Lassassi & Shaimaa Yassin, 2020. "Explaining the MENA paradox: Rising educational attainment yet stagnant female labor force participation," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(28), pages 817-850.
    8. Lopez-Acevedo,Gladys C. & Devoto,Florencia & Morales,Matías & Roche Rodriguez,Jaime Alfonso, 2021. "Trends and Determinants of Female Labor Force Participation in Morocco : An Initial Exploratory Analysis," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9591, The World Bank.
    9. Pascal L. Ghazalian, 2022. "The effects of the Arab Spring on female labour force participation in the MENA region," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(4), pages 869-900, October.
    10. Eman Abdelhadi & Paula England, 2018. "Do Values Explain the Low Employment Levels of Muslim Women Around the World? A Within-and between-Country Analysis," Working Papers 20180015, New York University Abu Dhabi, Department of Social Science, revised Mar 2018.
    11. Burak Sencer Atasoy, 2017. "Female Labour Force Participation in Turkey: The Role of Traditionalism," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 29(4), pages 675-706, August.
    12. Corekcioglu, Gozde, 2021. "Unveiling the effects of a headscarf ban: Evidence from municipal jobs in Turkey," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 382-404.
    13. Peter Haan & Martin Kroh & Kent Troutman, 2017. "Employment and Human Capital Investment Intentions among Recent Refugees in Germany," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 937, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    14. Ali Fakih & Pascal Ghazalian, 2015. "Female employment in MENA’s manufacturing sector: the implications of firm-related and national factors," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 37-69, February.
    15. Peter Haan & Martin Kroh & Kent Troutman, 2017. "Employment and Human Capital Investment Intentions among Recent Refugees in Germany," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1692, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    16. Ahmed, Tanima & Sen, Binayak, 2018. "Conservative outlook, gender norms and female wellbeing: Evidence from rural Bangladesh," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 41-58.
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    18. Hanan Nazier & Racha Ramadan, 2016. "Women's Participation in Labor Market in Egypt: Constraints and Opportunities," Working Papers 999, Economic Research Forum, revised May 2016.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    female labour market participation; MENA region; Islam; identity; religion;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • Z12 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Religion
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East

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