Women’s tendency in work involvement: A study of female labour force in Indonesia

Abstract

Culture is perceived as the most prominent factor which causes inequality in work involvement, especially in the context of gender. In many cultures, “glass ceiling” of gender bias often makes women less productive than their male counterparts because of their domestic duties. As a matter of fact, Indonesian women have proven their potentials and abilities in boosting the national economy. This study focuses on the effect of domestic duties, wages, and education on women’s participation in the workforce. Using logistic regression and SUSENAS 2018 dataset, this research finds that women with higher education and greater number of children do not get involved in the workforce. This situation is inextricably associated with the predominant patriarchal culture in their domestic lives, in which the husbands assume absolute control, and women’s roles are usually limited to domestic sphere. As is the case of the other workers, women are more engaged in their work when they get higher wages. Women who live in urban areas tend to have opportunities to be economically productive.