Do Foreign Firms Transfer Gender Norms in the Labour Market? Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
18 Pages Posted: 24 Jul 2019 Last revised: 29 Jul 2019
Date Written: July 22, 2019
Abstract
Closing the gender gaps in economic opportunities is crucial for boosting economic growth and the empowerment of women. In this paper, we study how foreign firms contribute in reducing gender disparities in the labour market by transferring the gender norms of their country of origin to the affiliates in the host countries. We use cross sectional data on foreign firms located in 19 Sub Saharan Africa countries in 2010 by UNIDO. We find that firms coming from more gender equal countries employ more female workers in their affiliates. This effect is more relevant for the highly skilled female workers.
Keywords: Female Employment, Gender Norms, FDI, Sub-Saharan Africa
JEL Classification: F21, O55, J16
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