The study employs descriptive and econometric methods in examining the contribution of women's participation to the economic growth of Nigeria from 1990 to 2022. Data sources employed were World Bank Development Indicators. Through examination of the data, the study finds that industry remains the largest employer of women in Nigeria, followed by the agricultural sector. Besides, the contribution of female employment in agriculture, services, and manufacturing sectors on Nigerian economic growth was found to be negative although statistically insignificant. Similarly, the female labor participation rate also does not have any significant effect on the economic growth of the nation. In response to these findings, the study recommends that Nigerian policymakers and other stakeholders' direct investment to the industrial, service, and agricultural sectors in order to promote SDG 8-inclusive economic growth-through increased involvement of women in the working population. Gender balance also must take center stage in recruitment exercises in these sectors as a method of reducing discrimination against women in jobs.

Internet use, gender role attitudes, and female labor market outcomes in rural China

South Africa’s shift to renewable energy has been characterised by significant structural changes, primarily through the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), which achieved considerable capacity by 2016. Although this green transition aligns with environmental and economic goals, gender inequities persist in labour market outcomes, particularly in technical and leadership positions. This study examines the short- and long-term impacts of renewable energy investments and important socioeconomic elements on female labour force participation (FLFP) in South Africa. Applying a bounds testing approach based on a semi-annual autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model, this analysis utilises data from 2003 to 2022. It includes factors such as renewable energy investments, the share of green jobs, GDP per capita, and access to modern energy services. The results indicate a statistically significant long-term equilibrium relationship. Increased renewable energy investments align with increases in FLFP, and the growth of green jobs further boosts women’s workforce participation. GDP per capita additionally has a positive impact, highlighting the macroeconomic advantages of inclusive growth. On the contrary, access to existing energy services shows a statistically insignificant negative relationship with FLFP, suggesting that merely expanding infrastructure may not effectively tackle gendered labour disparities. This study adds to the field of energy economics by providing a gender-segregated empirical evaluation and by suggesting policy actions to foster a more inclusive and fair energy transition in South Africa.

The paper investigates the correlation of consumer price index with labour force participation and economic growth in India between 2017 to 2024. The analysis involves using secondary data that is sourced from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the World Bank, the Ministry of Education and Macro trends to explore the effect of the rural and urban labour force participation rates between males and females, their enrolment in secondary schooling, total and planned spending on education and the yearly increase in the GDP on consumer price movements. Since the consumer price index data is non-negative and skewed and the time-series sample used is rather small, Poisson regression is the model used as the major econometric tool. The findings show that the result is high heterogeneity of labour market segments. Male labour force participation in the rural areas has a positive and significant relationship with the consumer price index and a negative significant relationship with female labour force participation. The variables of urban labour force participation are statistically insignificant and there are weaker or less predictable relationships with the price movements. The increase in the gross domestic product is observed to significantly affect the consumer price index negatively, which implies a higher rate of economic growth could alleviate the inflation pressure. The results reveal the significance of the demographic and sectoral differences in the study of the dynamics of inflation and offer policy-related details on labour participation and growth in the determination of price stability.

The research aims to provide a comprehensive picture of the employment of the female population in the Kazan Governorate at the end of the 19th century. The scientific novelty of the study lies in being the first to utilize the 1897 General Census to demonstrate the distribution of women with independent occupations across professional categories within the Kazan Governorate and to identify their primary spheres of employment. The article presents statistical data based on several criteria that influenced women’s employment, including literacy, rural or urban residency, and age. In addition, the occupational groups in which women were involved in 1897 are examined. The study identifies the socio-economic sectors of the governorate where female labor was actively utilized, highlighting both traditional industries and new sectors that emerged as a result of modernization during the second half of the 19th century. The findings reveal that by the late 1890s, only a small fraction of women were engaged in professional careers, while the majority of the female population was involved in unskilled labor. Since the Kazan Governorate was primarily agrarian, agriculture served as the main source of income for half of all self-employed women.

This paper navigates the legal and socio-economic complexities of institutionalising Menstrual Leave Policy (MLP) in India, analysing whether such measures constitute a necessary accommodation of biological difference or an inadvertent reinforcement of gender stereotypes. While MLP is gaining traction globally—exemplified by legislative frameworks in Spain and Japan—and domestically through private sector initiatives and state-specific policies like those in Bihar, India lacks a centralised legislative mandate. This paper contextualises the framework of MLP, exploring the tension between the constitutional Right to Health and Dignity (Article 21) and the potential for ‘benevolent sexism’ that may arise from sex-specific labor protections. Relying on the constitutional safeguards of ‘protective discrimination’ under Article 15(3) and the directive for ‘just and humane conditions of work’ under Article 42, the paper emphasises that recognising menstrual health is imperative for substantive equality. However, it critically assesses the economic ramifications, specifically the risk of hiring bias and the marginalisation of women in the workforce due to perceived costs. The paper further discusses the fears concerning the unorganised sector and the exclusion of gender-diverse menstruators from current policy discourse. The paper proposes a nuanced policy trajectory that transcends a binary debate. It proposes a shift toward degendered language, the integration of flexible work arrangements as viable alternatives to fixed leave, and state-supported mechanisms for vulnerable sectors. The paper concludes that achieving true menstrual equity requires a multi-faceted approach that balances biological needs with workplace neutrality, thereby preventing the weaponization of biological difference against female labor participation.

Abstract Studies in this field of women's employment and clean energy adoption consider two employment categories (farm and off-farm). We argue that women's participation in agriculture as farmers and labourers has a different impact on clean energy adoption. This research applies biprobit regressions to estimate the impact of the participation of women in agriculture in general and as farmers and labourers in particular on clean energy adoption using India's nationally representative Multiple Indicator Survey (MIS, 2020). To address the simultaneous use of clean energy and solid fuel by households, we create two outcome variables: energy choice for cooking and energy choice extreme (exclusive clean energy use for cooking and heating). Our results suggest that being a woman working in agriculture and being a female farmer reduces the likelihood of using clean energy for cooking, as well as for cooking and heating combined. In contrast, being a female agricultural labourer has a positive and statistically significant impact (at the 1 per cent level) on clean energy use for cooking, and a positive but not statistically significant impact on clean energy use for both cooking and heating. We contest earlier policy conclusions that suggest promoting off-farm employment to encourage the adoption of clean energy. Women's employment decisions should be left to them, with energy policies being neutral to their employment status. The efforts to encourage employment (i.e. free transport for women) are crucial; however, a direct focus on clean energy policies would better reduce health risks from non-clean energy use.

ABSTRACT Female labourers of Bangladesh's ready‐made Garments sector face challenges due to inadequate wages and fewer workplace amenities. Despite their contribution to Bangladesh's blooming economy and making up 80% of the workforce, these labourers lack social protection services. Thus, they are potentially excluded from essential social and economic resources. This study investigates the experiences of 25 female labourers in the absence of social protection mechanisms through semi‐structured open‐ended interviews. Using a rights‐based approach, this study advocates the development of social protection policies, and identifies that, respondents demand social assistance programmes such as cash transfer and fund assistance for maintaining their families.

ABSTRACT Tax policies mirror and shape societal structures. The joint tax unit, for instance, raises marginal tax rates for secondary earners, mostly women, creating a strong disincentive to work. A shift to the individual tax unit, which allows spouses' incomes to be taxed separately, significantly impacts women's work decisions and gender equality. Since the 1960s, numerous countries have shifted to the individual tax unit, yet major economies like the USA and Germany remain reluctant. In this paper, I used a fuzzy-set QCA to examine the puzzling adoption patterns of the individual tax unit among 19 Western democracies. The findings show that the institutional stickiness of the splitting method – whose reform is associated with higher political costs – is especially relevant for tax unit reform. Countries that used aggregation instead of the splitting method were more inclined to shift to the individual tax unit. High shares of women's political representation, female labor demand, strong feminist movements and strong left parties can, however, serve as additional drivers. These findings contribute to the literature on tax and welfare state reforms, which has so far neglected the politics of married couples' taxation.

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the influence of clan culture on gender diversity within the top management teams of Chinese firms. Design/methodology/approach This paper analyzes data from Chinese companies listed on the A-share markets from 2003 to 2022. Findings We find that stronger clan culture is associated with lower female representation in leadership roles, including positions on the board of directors, supervisory boards and among senior executives. Cross-sectional tests reveal that this negative relationship is more pronounced in state-owned enterprises compared to non-state-owned enterprises. Additionally, we identify mitigating factors: regions with higher economic development and greater foreign cultural influence are less likely to hinder female advancement into top management. Lastly, our analysis of the mechanisms by which clan culture perpetuates gender inequality perceptions underscores its harmful effects on both the demand for and supply of female labor in executive roles. Originality/value In recent years, the topic of gender diversity within corporate boardrooms, executive ranks and the workforce at large has garnered considerable attention. Despite extensive research on the determinants of gender diversity and its impact on firm outcomes, the influence of informal institutions, such as culture, on gender diversity within organizations remains an understudied area. This gap is especially pronounced in the context of China, where cultural norms and values deeply influence gender roles and dynamics. Our paper aims to enrich the discourse on gender diversity by exploring the impact of clan culture, a fundamental element of Chinese culture, on the gender diversity of top management teams in Chinese firms.

Gender-gap reversal in education and the female labor supply: Evidence from China

This study employs a Marxist-feminist lens to analyze the systemic marginalization and exploitation of female characters in three African novels: Buchi Emecheta’s Second Class Citizen (1974), Nawal El Saadawi’s Women at Point Zero (1975), and Amma Darko’s Faceless (2003). Moving beyond cataloguing instances of patriarchal violence, the paper argues that these texts depict women’s oppression as fundamentally intertwined with capitalist economic relations, wherein the female body and labor are commodified, and social reproduction is exploited. Through qualitative textual analysis, the study examines how structures of patriarchy and capitalism converge to relegate women to a state of “second-class” existence, extracting both productive and reproductive labor while denying autonomy. The analysis reveals a continuum of exploitation—from the domestic sphere and formal employment to the informal sexual economy—highlighting how gender subordination is materially produced and sustained. The paper concludes that a Marxist-feminist framework is essential for understanding the depth of women’s oppression in these narratives and for envisioning liberation that addresses both economic and patriarchal domination.

This paper examines the impacts of maternal education on her children's nutritional status in Kenya, utilizing six waves of nationally representative data from KDHS. To mitigate potential endogeneity issues and derive a causal relationship, we employ a change in the educational regime in 1985 as an instrument variable. The key findings can be summarized as follows. First, women under the new structure enhance their education by an average of 1.8years. Second, an additional year of education attained by a mother is shown to have an impact on reducing the likelihood of her child experiencing stunting, underweight, and wasting by approximately 3.8, 2.6, and 1.2 percentage points, respectively. These findings withstand rigorous testing through a battery of robustness checks. Finally, to elucidate the underlying mechanisms behind these results, our study delves into various factors, encompassing women's fertility, female labor force engagement, women's information exposure, and their involvement in decision-making.

ABSTRACT Gender norms that dictate the societal behaviour of different genders hinder the labour force participation of women. The Indian state of Kerala presents a striking juxtaposition: despite being lauded for its advancements in gender and human development, the state continues to struggle with low female labour force participation, with only about one-third of the females participating in the labour force in Kerala. Against this context, the study investigates the relationship between gender norms and labour force participation in Kerala, as the state mirrors trends observed at the national level. The study uses primary data obtained through a questionnaire survey from 783 educated young individuals aged between 18 and 45 in Kerala. The primary data reveal that nearly 40% of the respondents hold a conservative view on gender norms concerning gender stereotypes and employment. The empirical estimates from multinomial logistic regression reveal that the labour force participation of individuals is associated with gender norms. The study emphasises the need for targeted policies aimed at expanding affordable childcare services and encouraging shared caregiving responsibilities within families to promote the labour force participation of women.

Women’s labor plays a crucial role in a locality's socioeconomic landscape and can be understood through three key characteristics: quantity, quality, and structure. Ho Chi Minh City is a primary international gateway that receives advanced scientific and technological achievements from developed countries. Therefore, women’s labor—particularly female human resources—contributes significantly to the city’s production, business, and service activities. In recent years, the rapid development of the Industry 4.0 technological revolution has directly affected women workers, necessitating adjustments to keep pace with ongoing changes. Research on the structure and quality of women’s labor helps scholars better understand this group in the historical development of the Saigon–Ho Chi Minh City region.

Abstract Women's leadership development is becoming a top focus for organizations seeking to increase diversity, creativity, and sustainable success. Despite increasing female labor participation, women remain underrepresented in senior leadership positions due to a variety of issues, such as cultural norms, organizational biases, work-life conflicts, and limited access to sponsorship and mentorship. This study examines the possibilities and challenges of developing women leaders using a mixed-methods approach that includes surveys of 200 women professionals and interviews with HR directors. Data analysis using descriptive statistics, correlation, regression, and percentage analysis revealed that gender stereotypes, ambiguous promotion procedures, and a lack of gender-focused leadership programs continue to impede women's advancement. However, organized leadership development has a favorable effect on professional advancement and leadership readiness. On the other hand, work-life regulations, inclusive workplace cultures, mentorship programs, and organized leadership development programs all have a favorable impact on career growth and leadership readiness. The research provides companies with useful recommendations for improving women's leadership pipelines, removing barriers, and creating an equitable and effective leadership environment. Keywords: Work-Life Balance, Inclusive Organizational Culture, Women's Leadership Development, Gender Diversity, Organizational Bias, Mentorship and Sponsorship, and Leadership Training Programs

The interaction between gender inequality in education, female labor force participation, male labor force participation, and economic growth in Nigeria: a quantile–on–quantile analysis

Introduction: Chronic musculoskeletal pain significantly impacts the quality of life and physical productivity of women engaged in agrarian labour within rural settings. This study examined the efficacy of a hybrid rehabilitation approach specifically designed for this demographic in low-resource environments. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate a hybrid rehabilitation program combining field-based activities and tele-exercises to manage pain and improve functional muscle strength among rural Iraqi women. Methodology: A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test cohort study was conducted among sixty-six women who had extensive histories of agrarian labour in the Hamdaniya District. The twelve-week intervention integrated home-based exercises delivered via mobile video applications with twice-weekly field sessions featuring culturally familiar games, while physical assessments utilized a handheld dynamometer and the Numeric Rating Scale-11. Results: The data indicated that the majority of participants suffered from severe lower back and extremity pain at baseline. Following the intervention, significant improvements in muscle strength were recorded across all targeted regions, and pain levels transitioned from severe to either moderate or mild, with several cases reaching complete resolution. Discussion: These findings aligned with previous studies suggesting that supervised exercise programs effectively mitigate chronic occupational pain. The results contrasted favourably with traditional clinical models by demonstrating that culturally adapted physical activity increases participant adherence and social engagement in rural communities. Conclusions: The hybrid rehabilitation program successfully reduced chronic pain and enhanced the functional capacity of rural Iraqi women. The model presents a feasible, low-cost therapeutic strategy for improving musculoskeletal health in resource-limited settings.

ABSTRACT Globally rising female labour force participation represents one of the most noteworthy economic developments of the last century. Despite this rise, little is known about the individual and broader economic costs tied to women's experiences of problematic menstrual symptoms such as period pain (dysmenorrhea) and heavy menstrual bleeding. This study quantifies the economic burden of menstrual symptoms on Australian working women using a human capital approach. A cross‐sectional online survey was conducted among women in Australia who had been employed for at least 3 months. Lost productivity associated with menstrual symptoms is estimated at $4882 Int (AUD $7176) per person annually, with an estimated annual economic burden of $9.527 billion Int ($14.005 billion AUD) in Australia based on a 90% prevalence rate for one or more menstrual symptoms. Presenteeism was the predominant cost driver, accounting for 46% of total productivity loss. Over the counter and prescribed analgesic use were significantly correlated with greater pain and productivity impairment, despite not reducing productivity impacts. Pain severity demonstrated a strong positive correlation with absenteeism and presenteeism ( r = 0.97). Women aged 35–44 reported significantly higher lost productivity than their counterparts. These findings highlight the substantial economic rationale for government and workplace interventions supporting menstrual symptom management.

This research investigates the systemic marketing challenges encountered by women entrepreneurs within the unique socio-economic landscape of Kerala, India. Despite the state’s acclaimed "Kerala Model of Development," characterized by high female literacy and superior health indicators, there remains a persistent disparity in female labour force participation and the scaling of women-led micro-enterprises. This study identifies a critical "Market Marginalization" where women, though proficient in production, face significant hurdles in market penetration, branding, and digital transition. The inquiry adopts a Mixed-Methods Explanatory Sequential Design, integrating the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Social Capital Theory to analyse how "Marketing Capability" serves as a gendered resource. Utilizing a stratified random sample of 450 registered women entrepreneurs across North, Central, and South Kerala, the research examines the multi-dimensional impact of the 4Ps (Product, Price, Place, and Promotion) alongside modern digital variables. Preliminary observations suggest that while institutional frameworks like the Kudumbashree Mission have successfully facilitated entry-level entrepreneurship, these units often remain trapped in a "Middleman Trap" and suffer from "Marketing Paralysis" due to information asymmetry and socio-cultural mobility restrictions. The study further explores "Digital Marketing Adaptability" as a potential moderator for business growth, arguing that current policy interventions must shift from traditional subsidy-based models toward a "Marketing-Led Development" (MLD) approach. The final output of this research is the formulation of a "Marketing Resilience Model," designed to provide a strategic roadmap for women-led enterprises to navigate the hyper-competitive, algorithm-driven marketplace of Industry 4.0. The findings hold significant implications for policymakers, academic researchers, and developmental agencies aiming to bridge the gap between entrepreneurial aspiration and sustainable commercial success in the post-pandemic digital economy.