Social norms as a barrier to women's employment in developing countries

Seema Jayachandran

No wp-2019-74, WIDER Working Paper Series from World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER)

Abstract: This paper discusses cultural barriers to women's participation and success in the labor market in developing countries. I begin by describing how gender norms influence the relationship between economic development and female employment, as well as how gender norms differ substantially across societies at the same level of economic development. I then discuss in more detail specific gender-related social norms and how they constrain women's employment. I present examples of policies aimed at dismantling these cultural barriers to female employment and the impacts they have.

Keywords: Culture; Institutions; Developing countries; Economic development; Female labour force participation; Employment; Labour supply; Social norms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-gen, nep-hme and nep-soc
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (18)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Social Norms as a Barrier to Women’s Employment in Developing Countries (2021)
Working Paper: Social Norms as a Barrier to Women's Employment in Developing Countries (2020)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2019-74

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