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Social Norms as a Barrier to Women's Employment in Developing Countries

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  • Seema Jayachandran

Abstract

This article 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 vary substantially across societies at the same level of economic development. I then examine several 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.

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  • Seema Jayachandran, 2020. "Social Norms as a Barrier to Women's Employment in Developing Countries," NBER Working Papers 27449, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:27449
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    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J20 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - General
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General

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