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Female Labor Force Participation in Developing Countries - La partecipazione della forza lavoro femminile nei paesi in via di sviluppo

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This paper examines the impact of various determinants on female labor force participation in developing countries. Based on data from the World Values Survey (2008) and the United Nations’ 2011 Human Development Report and a sample of twenty-one developing economies we find that the female labor force participation rate is dependent on society’s norms with respect to single parenthood, the housewife’s role, whether men are better political leaders and executives, and the importance of good work hours. On the other hand, using a sample of fifty-five countries, we are able to show that the female labor force participation rate is a function of society’s norms with respect to the housewife’s role, and whether men have more right to a job, of the adolescent fertility rate, and of the log of per capita GDP. Depending on the sample used, society’s norms and/or the log of per capita GDP explain over sixty-percent of the total variation in female labor force participation rate across developing economies. Both the total fertility rate and urbanization do not seem to exert any influence on a woman’s decision to participate in the labor force in the second sample. Statistical results of such empirical examination will assist governments in developing countries identify areas that need to be improved upon in order to increase female labor force participation and hence contribute to economic development. - Questo studio esamina l’influenza di varie determinanti sulla partecipazione della forza lavoro femminile nei paesi in via di sviluppo. Sulla base dei dati del World Values Survey (2008) e del Human Development Report dell’ONU (2011) e di un campione di 21 economie in via di sviluppo, si riscontra che il tasso di partecipazione dipende dalle norme vigenti nel paese circa i genitori single e dal ruolo delle casalinghe e dall’orario di lavoro. In un altro campione di 55 paesi si dimostra che il lavoro femminile dipende dalla legislazione del paese circa il ruolo delle casalinghe, se è opinione diffusa che gli uomini abbiano maggior diritto al lavoro, dal tasso di fertilità adolescenziale e dall’andamento del PIL pro capite. A seconda del campione considerato, la normativa e/o l’andamento del PIL pro capite spiegano per il 60% la variazione totale della partecipazione della forza lavoro femminile nelle economie in via di sviluppo. Nel secondo campione né il tasso totale di fertilità né l’urbanizzazione sembrano influenzare le decisioni delle donne circa la scelta di lavoro. I risultati statistici di questo studio suggeriscono ai governi dei paesi in via di sviluppo le modalità per individuare le aree di intervento per aumentare la partecipazione femminile al lavoro.

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  • Dao, Minh Quang, 2014. "Female Labor Force Participation in Developing Countries - La partecipazione della forza lavoro femminile nei paesi in via di sviluppo," Economia Internazionale / International Economics, Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato Agricoltura di Genova, vol. 67(3), pages 337-350.
  • Handle: RePEc:ris:ecoint:0723
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    1. Lídia Farré & Francis Vella, 2013. "The Intergenerational Transmission of Gender Role Attitudes and its Implications for Female Labour Force Participation," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 80(318), pages 219-247, April.
    2. Alessandra Fogli & Laura Veldkamp, 2011. "Nature or Nurture? Learning and the Geography of Female Labor Force Participation," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 79(4), pages 1103-1138, July.
    3. Psacharopoulos, George & Tzannatos, Zafiris, 1989. "Female Labor Force Participation: An International Perspective," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 4(2), pages 187-201, July.
    4. Fernández, Raquel & Olivetti, Claudia & Fogli, Alessandra, 2004. "Preference Formation and the Rise of Women's Labour Force Participation: Evidence from WWII," CEPR Discussion Papers 4493, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    5. World Bank, 2012. "World Development Report 2012 [Rapport sur le développement dans le monde 2012]," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 4391.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Female Labor Force Participation; Per Capita GDP; Housewife’s Role; Single Parenthood; Developing Countries; Views on Men as Political Leaders or Executives; Good Work Hours;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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