Prioritizing quality over quantity in female labor force participation

How improving women's working conditions benefits us all

The issue

In honor of Claudia Goldin winning the Nobel Prize in Economics, this week’s article explores interventions aimed at improving women’s labor market outcomes in developing countries. This is especially relevant given women’s low economic empowerment globally. Female labor force participation (FLFP) has declined in developing countries, partially due to rising rates of vulnerable employment. Though FLFP is synonymous with women’s empowerment, we less often discuss the quality of women’s working conditions. Research suggests that the interplay of existing economic conditions and gender norms explains the uneven trends in FLFP across developing countries. As such, interventions targeting these structural issues can not only improve the experiences of women in the workplace, but also boost FLFP via entrepreneurship.

Definition
vulnerable employment often involves poor working conditions and social security