Gender Disparities in Employment and Earnings in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Swaziland

Zuzana Brixiová Schwidrowski and Thierry Kangoye ()
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Thierry Kangoye: African Development Bank

No 10455, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: In this paper we provide first systematic evidence on the gender disparities in the labor market in Swaziland, drawing on the country's first two (2007 and 2010) Labor Force Surveys. We find that even though the global financial crisis had a less severe effect on the labor market outcomes of women than those of men, women continue to have lower employment and labor force participation rates. Utilizing the Heckman probit selection model shows that while women account for a disproportionate share of the self-employed, they are more often than men involved in low-productivity activities and rely less on formal finance. We conclude with policies that could help Swaziland – and other middle income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa – narrow these disparities and embark on a more inclusive growth path.

Keywords: gender gap in the labor market; skills; credit; multivariate analysis; policies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J16 J21 L26 O12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 21 pages
Date: 2016-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dev and nep-gen
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