The Determinants of Female Labor Force Participation in the Middle East and North Africa Region: The Role of Education and Social Norms in Amman, Cairo, and Sana'a

In recent decades, the Middle East and North Africa region achieved substantial improvement in women's education, but without a commensurate increase in women's participation in the labor market. Using primary household survey data collected in 2008 in Amman, Cairo, and Sana'a, this chapter empirically investigates whether education acts as a vehicle for labor market participation among urban women. As a baseline, we investigate the determinants of female labor force participation by means of a single-equation probit model. Based on the results of the probit model, we analyze the role of social norms. Results confirm that education increases female labor supply. However, when levels of schooling are considered, only high levels of education (post-secondary/university/post-university education) show a positive and significant effect. The study also confirms the negative association between traditional attitudes and female labor supply. Thus, policies in the region that aim to raise female labor force participation need to focus more broadly than on investment in education, to take account of other economic and non-economic barriers to female labor supply. Further investment in education in itself may not achieve the full intended goal for women in the labor market.