Globalisation and the Gender Earnings Gap: Evidence from Sri Lanka and Cambodia 1992-2015

66 Pages Posted: 24 Sep 2018

See all articles by Raymond Robertson

Raymond Robertson

Macalester College - Department of Economics

Gladys Lopez-Acevedo

Lead Economist

Yevgeniya Savchenko

World Bank; Georgetown University

Abstract

This paper focuses on how the forces of globalisation, specifically the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA), have affected women's wages in the apparel sector in developing countries. Using household and labour force surveys from Cambodia and Sri Lanka, we find large positive wage premiums and a closing of the male-female wage gap during the MFA period, but smaller premiums and a widening wage gap after the end of the MFA. Our results suggest that apparel exports continued to benefit women in developing countries post-MFA.

Keywords: apparel, Multi-Fibre Arrangement, textile, wages, women, working conditions

JEL Classification: F16, F63, F66, J21, J24, J30, J31, J81, L67

Suggested Citation

Robertson, Raymond E. and Lopez-Acevedo, Gladys and Savchenko, Yevgeniya and Savchenko, Yevgeniya, Globalisation and the Gender Earnings Gap: Evidence from Sri Lanka and Cambodia 1992-2015. IZA Discussion Paper No. 11821, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3253480 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3253480

Raymond E. Robertson (Contact Author)

Macalester College - Department of Economics ( email )

1600 Grand Ave.
Saint Paul, MN 55105
United States

Gladys Lopez-Acevedo

Lead Economist ( email )

1818 H Street
Washington, DC 20433
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.worldbank.org/en/about/people/gladys-lopez-acevedo

Georgetown University ( email )

Washington, DC 20057
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
85
Abstract Views
602
Rank
529,323
PlumX Metrics