IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/femeco/v21y2015i2p162-186.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Economic Cost of Gender Gaps in Effective Labor: Africa's Missing Growth Reserve

Author

Listed:
  • Amarakoon Bandara

Abstract

This study analyzes the impact of the gender gap in effective labor - defined as the combined effect of the gender gaps in labor force participation and education - on economic output per worker. The results indicate that the gender gap in effective labor has a negative effect on the economic output per worker in African countries. A 1 percent increase in the gender gap in effective labor leads to a reduction in output per worker by 0.43-0.49 percent in Africa overall, 0.29-0.50 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa, and 0.26-0.32 percent in a wider group of countries from Africa and Asia. The total annual economic losses due to gender gaps in effective labor could be as high as US$255 billion for the African region. Results confirm that Africa is missing its full growth potential because a sizeable portion of its growth reserve - women - is not fully utilized.

Suggested Citation

  • Amarakoon Bandara, 2015. "The Economic Cost of Gender Gaps in Effective Labor: Africa's Missing Growth Reserve," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(2), pages 162-186, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:femeco:v:21:y:2015:i:2:p:162-186
    DOI: 10.1080/13545701.2014.986153
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/13545701.2014.986153
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/13545701.2014.986153?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. World Bank, 2000. "Can Africa Claim the 21st Century?," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 22962.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hyland,Marie Caitriona & Islam,Asif Mohammed & Muzi,Silvia, 2020. "Firms' Discriminatory Behavior, and Women's Employment in the Democratic Republic of Congo," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9224, The World Bank.
    2. repec:rac:ecchap:2017-12 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Fatima Olanike Kareem & Olayinka Idowu Kareem, 2021. "Employment Responses to EU Food Safety Regulations: A Gendered Perspective," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 33(6), pages 1899-1929, December.
    4. Haroon Ur Rashid Khan & Anwar Khan & Khalid Zaman & Agha Amad Nabi & Sanil S. Hishan & Talat Islam, 2017. "Gender discrimination in education, health, and labour market: a voice for equality," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 51(5), pages 2245-2266, September.
    5. Mukherjee, Shantanu & Lusigi, Angela & Kamwendo, Eunice & Bonini, Astra, 2017. "Income Inequality Trends in sub-Saharan Africa: Divergence, determinants and consequences: Inequality, Gender and Human Development in Africa," UNDP Africa Reports 267647, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
    6. Baroki, Robert & Joshi, Christian & Maisonnave, Hélène & Mariam, Anastasie Bulumba, 2021. "Impact of pro-gender public policies in the agricultural sectors on women's employment in a context of economic dependence on natural resources: A case study of the DRC," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315114, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    7. Ngepah, Nicholas & Saba, Charles Shaaba & Tinga, Cleide L.M., 2024. "Gender Inequality and Economic Growth in Developing Countries," Economia Internazionale / International Economics, Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato Agricoltura di Genova, vol. 77(3), pages 371-416.
    8. UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa & Shantanu Mukherjee & Angela Lusigi & Eunice Kamwendo & Astra Bonini, "undated". "Inequality, Gender and Human Development in Africa," UNDP Africa Policy Notes 2017-12, United Nations Development Programme, Regional Bureau for Africa.
    9. Audrey VERDIER-CHOUCHANE, 2016. "Women In Inclusive Development: An Overview," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 44, pages 43-60.
    10. Kareem, Fatima Olanike, 2017. "European Union’s SPS and TBT Measures, Gender Specific Obstacles and Agricultural Employment," EconStor Preprints 171726, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.

    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. Nin-Pratt, Alejandro & Yu, Bingxin, 2008. "An updated look at the recovery of agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa," IFPRI discussion papers 787, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. AfDB AfDB, 2002. "Working Paper 65 - Governance in Africa: The Role for Information and Communication Technologies," Working Paper Series 2198, African Development Bank.
    3. AfDB AfDB, 2002. "Working Paper 65 - Governance in Africa: The Role for Information and Communication Technologies," Working Paper Series 2278, African Development Bank.
    4. Bouët, Antoine & Cosnard, Lionel & Laborde, David, 2017. "Measuring Trade Integration in Africa," Journal of Economic Integration, Center for Economic Integration, Sejong University, vol. 32(4), pages 937-977.
    5. Burke, William J. & Jayne, Thomas S. & Freeman, H. Ade & Kristjanson, Patricia, 2007. "Factors Associated with Farm Households’ Movement Into and Out of Poverty in Kenya: The Rising Importance of Livestock," Food Security International Development Working Papers 54563, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    6. James D. Wolfensohn & Nicholas Stern & Ian Goldin & Halsey Rogers & Mats Karlsson, 2002. "A Case for Aid : Building a Consensus for Development Assistance," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 14260.
    7. EZZAHIDI, Elhadj & El Alaoui, Aicha, 2015. "Determinants of the recent growth surge in Africa: what changed since mid-1990s?," MPRA Paper 67792, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Kiertisak Toh, 2016. "Emerging Growth Economies in Sub-Saharan Africa," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 61(2), pages 229-244, October.
    9. Pádraig Carmody, 2008. "Matrix Governance, Cruciform Sovereignty and the Poverty Regime in Africa," The Institute for International Integration Studies Discussion Paper Series iiisdp267, IIIS.
    10. Achterbosch, Thom J. & Ben Hammouda, H. & Osakwe, Patrick N. & van Tongeren, Frank W., 2004. "Trade Liberalisation Under The Doha Development Agenda; Options And Consequences For Africa," Report Series 29104, Wageningen University and Research Center, Agricultural Economics Research Institute.
    11. William Easterly, 2003. "Can Foreign Aid Buy Growth?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 17(3), pages 23-48, Summer.
    12. Oketch, Moses O., 2006. "Determinants of human capital formation and economic growth of African countries," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 554-564, October.
    13. Rainer Schweickert & Rainer Thiele & Manfred Wiebelt, 2005. "Macroeconomic and Distributional Effects of Devaluation in a Dollarized Economy: A CGE Analysis for Bolivia," Ibero America Institute for Econ. Research (IAI) Discussion Papers 120, Ibero-America Institute for Economic Research.
    14. Jayne, T. S. & Yamano, Takashi & Weber, Michael T. & Tschirley, David & Benfica, Rui & Chapoto, Antony & Zulu, Ballard, 2003. "Smallholder income and land distribution in Africa: implications for poverty reduction strategies," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 253-275, June.
    15. Jayne, Thomas S. & Mather, David & Mghenyi, Elliot W., 2006. "Smallholder Farming Under Increasingly Difficult Circumstances: Policy and Public Investment Priorities for Africa," Food Security International Development Policy Syntheses 54507, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    16. Susanna Kinnman & Magnus Lodefalk, 2009. "A Global Baltic:Potential Gains from Trade Liberalisation in the Baltic Sea States," Baltic Journal of Economics, Baltic International Centre for Economic Policy Studies, vol. 9(1), pages 55-79, July.
    17. Devarajan, Shantayanan & Go, Delfin S. & Maliszewska, Maryla & Osorio-Rodarte, Israel & Timmer, Hans, 2015. "Stress-testing Africa's recent growth and poverty performance," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 521-547.
    18. Nata Duvvury & Aoife Callan & Patrick Carney & Srinivas Raghavendra, 2013. "Intimate Partner Violence : Economic Costs and Implications for Growth and Development," World Bank Publications - Reports 16697, The World Bank Group.
    19. Bryceson, Deborah Fahy, 2002. "The Scramble in Africa: Reorienting Rural Livelihoods," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 725-739, May.
    20. World Bank, 2005. "The Cost of Doing Business in Africa : Evidence from the World Bank’s Investment Climate Data," World Bank Publications - Reports 8769, The World Bank Group.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:taf:femeco:v:21:y:2015:i:2:p:162-186. 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: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/RFEC20 .

    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.