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Does mandating nondiscrimination in hiring practices influence women's employment ? evidence using firm-level data

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  • Amin, Mohammad
  • Islam, Asif

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between mandating a nondiscrimination clause in hiring practices along gender lines and the employment of women versus men in 58 developing countries. The study finds a strong positive relationship between a nondiscrimination in hiring clause and women's relative to men's employment. The relationship is robust to several controls at the firm and country levels. The results also show sharp heterogeneity in the relationship between the nondiscrimination in hiring clause and women's versus men's employment, with the relationship being much larger in richer countries and in countries with more women in the population as well as among relatively smaller firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Amin, Mohammad & Islam, Asif, 2014. "Does mandating nondiscrimination in hiring practices influence women's employment ? evidence using firm-level data," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7076, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:7076
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    Cited by:

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    2. Mavisakalyan, Astghik & Tarverdi, Yashar, 2019. "Oil and women: A re-examination," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 191-200.
    3. 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.
    4. Marie Hyland & Simeon Djankov & Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg, 2020. "Gendered Laws and Women in the Workforce," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 2(4), pages 475-490, December.
    5. Davis, Lewis S. & Williamson, Claudia R., 2022. "Individualism and women's economic rights," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 198(C), pages 579-597.
    6. Sekkat, Khalid & Szafarz, Ariane & Tojerow, Ilan, 2015. "Women at the Top in Developing Countries: Evidence from Firm-Level Data," IZA Discussion Papers 9537, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Pastore, Francesco & Webster, Allan & Hope, Kevin, 2020. "Assessing the Role of Women in Tourism Related Sectors in the Caribbean," IZA Discussion Papers 13486, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. World Bank, 2015. "Women, Business and the Law 2016: Getting to Equal," Working Papers id:7449, eSocialSciences.
    9. Asif Islam & Mohammad Amin, 2016. "Women Managers and The Gender-Based Gap in Access to Education: Evidence from Firm-Level Data in Developing Countries," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(3), pages 127-153, July.
    10. Khorana, Sangeeta & Webster, Allan, 2023. "Too few women at the top of firms: Foreign ownership, gender segregation and cultural causes," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1276, Global Labor Organization (GLO).

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    Keywords

    Population Policies; Gender and Law; Gender and Development; Gender and Health; Human Rights;
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