Policy Briefs
Untapping Low Female Labor Force Participation In Egypt: Ending The Marriage Mismatch
No.
5
Date
September, 2015
Topic
J3. Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs
I2. Education and Research Institutions
In a nutshell
- Despite significant increases in female educational attainment, Egyptian women’s labor force participation rate remains one of the lowest in the world.
- This can be partially explained by the fact that while transitioning into marriage is an important phase in a woman’s life, it poses a major obstacle to her economic participation. Accordingly, a marriage mismatch exists, whereby marital conditions and responsibilities do not respond to labor market needs and vice versa.
- Considering the fact that women largely seek out government jobs, policies that would make private sector jobs better fit the lifestyle of women, especially married women, would go a long way in improving the situation.
- This can be achieved by creating more part-time jobs and jobs that allow married women to work from home. Moreover, parental leave policies, equal-pay policies and policies that do not impede the growth of the services sector are other solutions.
Research Fellows
Rana Hendy
Assistant Professor of Economics and Director of...