Abstract
Compared to other East Asian countries, Cambodia has relatively high female labor force participation rates. More than 75 percent of women are working, compared to the regional average of 60% (World Bank 2018). However, the educational background of many people, especially females coming from rural areas, is still poor in Cambodia, Therefore, the garment industry and the construction sector offer low-threshold job possibilities for less educated females in order to gain a stable income. Whereas the garment industry is defined as dominated by females, the construction sector is still characterized as typical male sector. The study aims to ask to what extend less educated females, coming from poor areas of Cambodia can enjoy and benefit from their work lives. In addition, gender stereotypes and gender inequality concerning the female workforce in garment and construction are presented. As previous research has focused on quantitative analysis, this study tried to explore perceptions of females working in the garment and construction sector by using the qualitative method of focus group discussions.
Highlights
Analyzing the possibilities women are facing towards labor market access does not mean to understand the labor market structures of a country
Only two work fields have been presented in the article, it should have become clear that doing formal work for less educated females in Cambodia is still extremely challenging
Most single mothers in Cambodia still live under the poverty line (Heuveline & Hong, 2017)
Summary
Analyzing the possibilities women are facing towards labor market access does not mean to understand the labor market structures of a country. The existing labor market structures are only one corner stone that has to be kept in mind. Gender Equality is characterized by the existing social norms and structures, cultural attitudes and religious patterns of a country. Cambodia – as an example - is still strongly influenced by its past while trying to meet the demands of developing, industrialized countries. High numbers of people still live just above the poverty line, and about 4.5 million people are considered to be economically vulnerable, namely they have a high risk of falling into poverty (World Bank, 2019). Cambodia has one of the highest female labor market participation rates in the Asian region (The World Bank, 2019). Recent labor market developments are characterized by gender segregation, with female-dominated and www.msocialsciences.com
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