Cultural norms, economic incentives and women’s labour market behaviour: empirical insights from Bangladesh
This study draws on an original survey of over 5000 women from 8 different districts in Bangladesh
Abstract
This paper sets out to explore a seeming puzzle in the context of Bangladesh. There is a considerable body of evidence from the country pointing to the positive impact of paid work on women’s position within family and community. Yet, according to official statistics, not only has women’s labour force participation risen very slowly over the years, but also a sizeable majority of women in the labour force are in unpaid family labour. The authors draw on an original survey of over 5000 women from 8 different districts in Bangladesh to explore some of the factors that lead to women’s selection into the labour force, and into different categories of labour market activity, with a view to gaining a better understanding of the combination of cultural norms and economic considerations that explain these findings.
This work is part of the ‘Choice, constraints and the gender dynamics of labour markets in Bangladesh’ project supported by the Economic and Social Research Council and the UK Department for International Development.
Citation
James Heintz, Naila Kabeer & Simeen Mahmud (2018) Cultural norms, economic incentives and women’s labour market behaviour: empirical insights from Bangladesh, Oxford Development Studies, 46:2, 266-289, DOI: 10.1080/13600818.2017.1382464