Factors affecting women's employment likelihood in a Muslim society: the case of Azerbaijan

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of females' likelihood to work in a Muslim society, Azerbaijan. Design/methodology/approach - To obtain more precise results, the authors analyze the relationships of interest in three different contexts: single (unmarried) females (n = 407,M = 0.779, Std. = 0.416), married female (n = 398,M = 0.706, SD = 0.456) and married male (n = 381,M = 0.378, Std. = 0.485). Linear probabilistic models and logistic regression techniques are employed to estimate regression parameters. Findings - The results altogether display a strong positive impact of the educational attainment of both females and married males. Between the income of married males' and females' employment likelihood, nonlinear – inverse U-shaped association is found. The findings indicate that conservatism towards females' employment is not religiously opinionated, mostly due to insufficient educational attainment. Practical implications - Based on the research findings, inspiring individuals are recommended to attain degree level qualifications. Simultaneously, the government should engage in mass media to increase awareness of the public about the non-monetary benefits of female employment. Originality/value - The research results are highly useful for policy practices and fill the huge gap in the studies and research made on the Azerbaijan labor market. Peer review - The peer review history for this article is available at:https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-09-2019-0557.