Women's Mobility and Labour Supply: Experimental Evidence from Pakistan

This study experimentally varies access to a transport service in Lahore to quantify the overall impact of transport to work on men and women

From:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Published
31 May 2022
Country:
Pakistan
Document Type:
Working Paper
Theme:
Economic Growth and Infrastructure
Authors:
Vyborny, K. and Field, E.

Abstract

In cities with conservative norms or high crime, female workers may face greater restrictions on their physical mobility. This limits women’s labour market opportunities and the pool of workers that firms can attract. In this study, we experimentally vary access to a transport service in Lahore, Pakistan, to quantify the overall impact of transport to work on men, women, and the differential impact of transport exclusively for women. We show that reducing physical mobility constraints has a large impact on job searching for women, including women who are not searching at baseline. Women’s response is driven by a women-only transport treatment arm, suggesting that safety and social acceptability, rather than simply cost, are key constraints.

This research is part of the Gender, Growth and Labour Markets in Low Income Countries programme

Citation

Vyborny, K. and Field, E. (2022). “Women’s Mobility and Labour Supply: Experimental Evidence from Pakistan”. G2LM LIC Working Paper No. 63.

Women’s Mobility and Labour Supply: Experimental Evidence from Pakistan

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Published 31 May 2022
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