Analyzing Female Employment Trends in South Asia

28 Pages Posted: 20 Feb 2020 Last revised: 21 Feb 2020

See all articles by Fatima Najeeb

Fatima Najeeb

University of Maryland - College Park

Matias Morales

Consultant

Gladys Lopez-Acevedo

Lead Economist

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: February 19, 2020

Abstract

This paper studies employment patterns and trends in South Asia to shed light on determinants of extremely low female employment rates in the region. After a comprehensive literature review, the authors use employment data from about one hundred censuses and surveys from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka to compare employment trends across countries over time. They work through data inconsistencies to standardize definitions of variables to compare demographic and labor market determinants: age, sector, contract type, location, and education. The paper finds that (i) overall since 2001, women's employment participation across South Asian countries has been low and broadly unchanged; (ii) the gender employment gap emerges more clearly in middle age brackets; (iii) rural female employment is higher than urban; (iv) agriculture is the economic sector accounting for the greatest share of female employment, although this is slowly changing in some countries, and; (v) women with mid-level education tend to have lower employment rates than those with both lower and higher education.

Suggested Citation

Najeeb, Fatima and Morales, Matias and Lopez-Acevedo, Gladys, Analyzing Female Employment Trends in South Asia (February 19, 2020). World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 9157, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3541384

Fatima Najeeb (Contact Author)

University of Maryland - College Park ( email )

College Park, MD 20742
United States

Matias Morales

Consultant

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

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