Female Participation Rates Research Articles

Overcoming challenges faced by female construction management graduates: an exploratory study in Australia

The construction industry is predominately male-dominated, which can be daunting for female construction management graduates. Several statistics highlight the low female participation rates and lack of females in senior/management positions. To date, abundant research has been completed to understand the challenges women working in construction face. However, it is unclear how these challenges are being addressed and what support frameworks are available to females in construction organisations. The research methodology adopted herein involved a systematic analysis of current literature, followed by a qualitative research approach with data collection through semi-structured interviews and data analysis using content analysis. The interviews provided firsthand experiences and an understanding of the challenges and strategies experienced on individual and organisational levels. The results found a strong stigma around females in construction and how current females consider these challenges as opportunities to succeed in the industry. This study takes a different stance to current research, which mainly focuses on ‘identifying the presence and negative impacts of the challenges faced by females’ and shifts the focus to ‘how these challenges can be overcome and what could be done to promote females in construction.’ Hence, the study offers several recommendations and implications for promoting females and overcoming current challenges.

Gender inequality in time allocation across life stages: a comparative study in a Latin American country

ABSTRACT The study analyzes gender differences in time use in the Latin American context, from a comparative perspective (2010–2019) and across life stages. Particularly, the study presents evidence on the likelihood of women and men spending time on three types of activities: Household work, paid work activities, and personal activities. Logistic regression was applied using data from time use surveys conducted in Peru in 2010 and 2019. The results suggests that women were much more likely to spend additional time on household work, while men were more likely to spend additional time on paid work and personal activities. However, these differences became less pronounced in 2019. In terms of age groups, a U-shaped and an inverted U-shaped pattern were found for paid work activities and household chores respectively. In both cases, the largest gender gap was found in the 30–39 age group, possibly related to motherhood. The originality of the research lies in providing a comprehensive analysis of gender inequality in time use in a developing country that has one of the highest rates of female labor force participation in the region, and is also characterized by a patriarchal structure in which machismo and marianismo influence time distribution.

Industrial Sector Performance and Labour Force Participation in Nigeria: A Gender Perspective

The literature on the role of industrialization in labour force participation in Nigeria is quite scanty. Besides, there is significant disparity between male and female labour force participation rates in the country. To this end, this study investigated the impact of industrial sector performance on labour force participation in Nigeria. The total industrial sector output was disaggregated into the outputs of the various components of the Nigerian industrial sector namely; manufacturing, mining and quarrying, utility and construction sectors. Total labour force participation rate was equally disaggregated into male and female labour force participation rates. Annual time-series data for the period 1981 to 2022 were used for the study. The Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) unit root test, Johansen cointegration test, error correction model (ECM), and Granger causality test were the econometric techniques used in analysing the data. The findings from the study revealed that manufacturing sector, and mining and quarrying sector outputs have significant positive impact on male labour force participation rate; construction sector output has insignificant positive impact on male labour force participation rate while utility sector output has insignificant negative impact on male labour force participation rate. On the other hand, manufacturing sector, and mining and quarrying sector outputs have significant negative impact on female labour participation rate while utility and construction sectors’ outputs have insignificant positive impact on female labour force participation rate. The main conclusion from the study is that while the total industrial sector performance largely encourages male labour force participation, it largely discourages female labour force participation in Nigeria

Index of female labour force participation and its association with demographic dividends of India

ndia has entered into Amrit Kaal (an auspicious period most conducive to achieving the country’s potential). Share of working-age population (WAP) has exceeded the combined share of children and elderly population since 2018 and is likely to continue till 2055 with peak expected around 2041. To take maximum advantage of demographic dividends, India needs to increase female labour participation rate (FLFPR) and bring the unemployed labour into the labour market by implementing policies aiming at gender equality, improved health, education, expansion of opportunities of employment, etc. The paper describes multidimensional index of FLFPR of a country at t-th year I F L F P R t by aggregating correlates of FLFPR and also describes measures of both first and second demographic dividends ( and ). I F L F P R t avoids problems of logarithmic transformations, scaling/normalization, finding weights and issues related to multiple regressions and involves no bias for developed, developing or under-developed countries. Since base period figures are different for different countries, comparison of countries may be meaningful in terms of progress made from base period or on Year-to-Year basis. Since higher considering theoretical advantages, I F L F P R t is recommended for finding relationship of the form Demographic dividend = α + β ( F L F P R ) further relationship of GDPt or Per Capita GDPt of a country with ( F D D t and S D D t ) by regression analysis to see effect of FLFPR on economic growth.

The cultural role of rice cultivation in female workforce participation in India

Rice and wheat are India's staple cereal crops and there is significant regional variation in the suitability to the cultivation of each. Both are so-called ‘plough-positive’ crops, whose cultivation is benefited by ploughing. It has previously been argued that the ancient adoption of the plough, a heavy implement better suited to handling by men, was a factor in the evolution of cultural norms prescribing a domestic role for women in society (Boserup, 1970). This study contends that rice is an anomalous plough-positive crop in that its cultivation, highly labor-intensive, has traditionally required much female labor. This, it is argued, may have led to a local loosening of plough culture's strictures against work by Indian women proportional to the local relative, to wheat, suitability to rice cultivation.To distinguish between a cultural effect and the technical effect of the labor-intensivity of rice cultivation, this study considers the workforce participation of urban women, spatially removed from agricultural operations. It is found that the district urban female workforce participation rates in both the 2001 and 2011 Censuses of India significantly increase in the district relative suitability to rice cultivation. Further, the increase in the district urban female workforce participation rate between 2001 and 2011 was significantly more pronounced in districts potentially better suited to growing rice than wheat. In addition, analysis of microdata from the 1999–2000 National Sample Survey of Employment and Unemployment reveals that the urban female propensity to work significantly increases in the district relative suitability to rice cultivation, though, tellingly, only so in the case of natives of the district, those whose culture will have been shaped by the local agro-ecology. Finally, urban females principally engaged in domestic duties are likelier to report that they are required to be so occupied, the compulsion probably cultural in nature, the less relatively suitable the district is to rice cultivation, with this effect too confined to natives of the district. Taken together, these findings suggest that rice cultivation has played a cultural role in Indian women's workforce participation.

Women’s Participation in the Labor Force of Meghalaya, India: A Spatial Disseminated Analysis

Meghalaya is an important state of north-eastern India. The main focus of the paper is to present an overall picture of women’s participation in Meghalaya and also shown employment of female’s in rural and urban areas of the state. Paper tries to show the gender gap in each district of the state. Along with comparing the incomes, educational attainment, and types of jobs held by women in urban and rural Meghalaya, it also looks at the type and caliber of work that women in these regions do. According to the report, between 2000 and 2014, there were 116 women working in Meghalaya on average every day. Women's earnings per day are likewise far lower than those of men; in 2014, women's wages were rupees 299.3, while men's salary were rupees 403.5. This is demonstrated by the fact that the majority of rural women work in low-paying agricultural jobs on a casual basis. There is notable difference in the gender gap and the rate of female employment participation throughout Meghalaya's districts.

An Analysis of Linkages between Literacy and Economic Participation of Women in India

An increase in women’s economic empowerment increases access and control over their strategic life choices, which affects their ability to effectively utilize available opportunities and understand their abilities. Education is one of the critical factors influencing women's economic empowerment. Due to several interventions for promoting female literacy, school enrolment of girls has increased, and the literacy rate improved significantly in India, especially in rural areas. However, this has no impact on female work participation when we compare it to male work participation. An attempt is made in the present paper to analyze the linkages between literacy and economic participation of women to understand the inter-state disparities in India. The study observed a weak correlation between literacy and female work participation rate, suggesting that higher literacy will not lead to a high female work participation rate due to the gender norms deeply rooted in the culture.

An ARDL Method for Evaluating Bangladesh’s Economic Growth Concerning Female Secondary Education

The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between Bangladesh’s economic growth and female secondary education. For this reason, the effects of female secondary education, female labour force participation rate, and female fertility rate on Bangladesh’s Real GDP growth rate are investigated over the years 1995–2021, using a quantitative approach. A long-term relationship between the variables is demonstrated by the Auto Regressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) Cointegration Model, wherein the fertility rate is negatively significant and the female participation rate in the labour force and secondary education are positively significant on the real GDP growth rate. The study uses the Error Correction Model (ECM) to record the speed of adjustment. There is short-run adjustment throughout the entire system, as indicated by the statistically significant and theoretically correct sign of the error correction term coefficient. A more thorough examination is necessary as the Causality test reveals an unanticipated unidirectional association between female secondary education and economic growth.

Women Who Stopped Working Due to Their Husband’s Opposition in Egypt

Abstract This paper investigates a neglected reason underlying the low female labor participation rates in Egypt: husbands’ opposition. We find that opposition falls with increasing levels of educational attainment and chronological age of the husband. Age at first marriage, religious affiliation, wealth, and the extent to which a husband upholds traditional views regarding the participation of women in the labor market and gender equality in general were not significant. We also report an inverse relationship between the likelihood of husband’s opposition and the number of children in the household, which suggests that financial considerations may outstrip normative considerations.

A Study of Factors Influencing Female Labor Force Participation Rate in Different Countries and Regions Based on Multi-Type Data Regression Methods

The ongoing progress of contemporary society and the growing global recognition of women have led to heightened scrutiny of the influence of female labour force in social production. The rate of female labour force participation holds significant implications for both the advancement of the global economy and the long-term sustainability of society. In this study, a dataset comprising 146 nations spanning the years 1990 to 2020 was utilised. Employing regression techniques, the 146 countries were categorised into six continents to investigate the impact of GDP per capita and fertility rate on the female labour force participation rate. The findings of the research indicate that the relationship between the female labour force participation rate and GDP per capita and fertility rate is non-linear, assuming that only these two factors are taken into account. Given the observed trend of a gradual increase in female labour force participation rates in various regions in recent years, alongside a corresponding decrease in fertility rates globally, it is imperative for relevant authorities to expedite the enhancement of policies pertaining to female reproduction. Furthermore, it is crucial to legally ensure employment opportunities for women.

The Reduction of the Gender Gap Through Global Value Chains: Political Commitment or Perpetuation of Gender Roles?

The relationship between international trade and the gender gap is complex. On one hand, foreign insertion can generate economic opportunities for women in the export sector. On the other hand, it can also result in heightened competition and the relocation of jobs, especially in the context of global value chains (GVCs). The study on the gender gap through GVCs examines the mechanisms within production networks that contribute to enhance women's economic empowerment and gender equality. The paper analyzes the relationship between the gender gap, GVCs, technological intensity of exports, and female empowerment in the EU-27, investigating whether GVCs could reduce or worsen gender disparities. The aim of this paper is to expand the gender gap studies incorporating the effects of trade in value added in the European Union. The study used a panel of data from various sources, including Eurostat, Trade in Employment (TiM), and the World Bank. The results suggest that an increase in exports, regardless of the level of technological intensity, tends to exacerbate the gender gap in export sectors by increasing the proportion of male workers relative to female workers. However, a higher female participation rate in medium-low technology sectors could reduce the gender gap in export sectors. The study identified obstacles to female insertion in export markets, including the need to improve education and training for women in high-demand areas, promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education and labor participation for women. This paper makes significant contributions to the literature by incorporating global value GVCs and considering the European context. Additionally, it provides an in-depth analysis of socioeconomic factors that are crucial for designing policies aimed at addressing gender inequality.

Does Politics even use Lipstick? A study on power, gender, and legitimacy in Brazilian Politics

Although societies have made some progress in gender equality, in most countries, women remain a minority in parliaments. In Brazil, women work, vote, syndicate, and exercise other fundamental rights. However, in many areas, especially those related to work, the participation of women still needs to be questioned, as is the case of political participation. This investigation aimed to investigate how Brazilian female political representatives see the scenario of female participation in the country’s politics. For this, the theories of the Glass Ceiling with that of Max Weber’s Legitimacy of Power were associated. The study is qualitative in the qualitative approach and the narrative method, with structured interviews applied to state and federal deputies and Brazilian senators; the discourse analysis technique was used. The fusion of the two theories provided resources for the analysis of power if considered gender and the understanding of the role of sexism in the low rates of female participation in politics. There is a vicious circle in which the female population hardly gets involved in public life because it oversees private life and the few women who participate face many obstacles. It is up to the parties’ fundamental role to include women in their staff, not only to comply with Brazilian legal provisions but also to eradicate the idea that politics is masculine.

WOMEN HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT SEGMENT OF THE WORKFORCE

The Indian labor market displays several striking features: very low rates of female labor force participation; considerable variance in rates of female labor force participation across Indian states; and a large share of both women and men working in the informal sector. Various types of people work at various types of jobs. A substantial portion of India's workforce historically has been made up of women. The work participation rate of women of India is showing a downward trend in the last few decades. It also signifies that women’s entry or exit of labour market is influenced by non-economic factors also. The study finds that there is neither quantitative nor qualitative improvement in women’s employment over time on account of structural changes in the economy. There is no major occupational diversification in women’s employment despite structural shift of the economy from primary to tertiary sector. Agriculture is still the leading sector in women’s employment. Overcrowding of workforce in agriculture largely as wage labourers, lower earnings, poor literacy levels, large-scale informal employment and most self-employment in the form of unpaid work are indications of women’s disadvantaged position in the labour market. Women are primarily seen as ‘caregivers’ for the family, even when they contribute to the family’s financial needs. This paper tries to find out that the position of women in workplace and in the family.

Financial Inclusion and Its Impact on Fertility: An Empirical Investigation

This paper explores the empirical relationship between financial inclusion and fertility, primary developmental outcomes. Some studies show the impact of financial inclusion on different developmental outcomes, such as poverty, inequality, education, health, empowerment and economic growth and development. However, only a few studies have analysed the impact of financial inclusion on specific health indicators. Financial inclusion has a significant impact on fertility decline. This study uses data from 2004 to 2018 from a panel of 152 countries from the World Development Indicators and the IMF’s Financial Access Survey to test the link between financial inclusion and fertility. I used techniques, that is, the panel fixed-effect model, SLM test, semi-parametric approach and quantile regression analysis, to understand the relationship between financial inclusion and fertility. The results suggest a non-linear relationship. As financial inclusion increases, fertility initially declines, but after reaching a critical point, the relationship turns positive, showing a U-shaped relationship. Other important variables that statistically influence fertility levels are levels of education, female labour-force participation rates, levels of urbanisation and age dependency. Inflation rate and trade openness also significantly influence fertility. This paper provides some policy implications concerning fertility and financial inclusion.

Relationship between physical activity and muscle mass loss among people aged 60 and above in 15 provinces of China in 2015

To analyze the relationship between physical activity and muscle mass loss among Chinese elderly aged 60 years and above in 15 provinces. Data was collected from 2015 China Nutritional Transition Cohort Study. Information on demographic characteristics and physical activity was investigated by questionnaire. Dietary intake was estimated from three consecutive 24-h recalls for each individual. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass(ASM) was assessed using the bioelectrical impedance analysis(BIA). Skeletal muscle mass(SMI) loss was diagnosed according Asian working group of sarcopenia(AWGS) 2019 recommendation(male: SMI <7.0 kg/m~2, female: <5.7 kg/m~2). A total of 4565 participants aged 60 years and above from 15 provinces in China with complete information were included in the final analysis. Different domains(occupational, domestic, travel and leisure), light physical activity(<3.0 METs), moderate physical activity(3.0-5.9 METs) and vigorous physical activity(≥6.0 METs) of physical activity among elderly adults were evaluated. Logistic multilevel model was used to analyze the relationship between low muscle mass and different intensity of physical activity duration. Among all participants aged 60 years and above in 15 provinces of China in 2015, women's participation rate in domestic physical activity was 91.7%, which was higher than men's rate of 62.3%. However, men's participation rate in occupational, travel and leisure physical activity were higher than those of women. The participation rate, duration of light physical activity and moderate physical activity were higher in women than in men(light physical activity: female duration 11.0 h/week vs. male duration 3.5 h/week; female participation rate 89.9% vs. male participation rate 62.8%; moderate physical activity: female duration 7.0 h/week vs. male duration 4.7 h/week; female participation rate 90.6% vs. male participation rate 75.2%). The median vigorous physical activity was 0 h/week in both male and female group. The prevalence of muscle mass loss was 13.9% among subjects. The median weekly light physical activity and moderate physical activity in muscle mass loss group were 5.8 h and 4.7 h, which were lower than in non-muscle mass loss group(9.3 h and 6.0 h). The OR of muscle mass lass was 0.71(95%CI 0.42-0.98, P<0.05) for the male with 3.5-6.9 hours of moderate physical activity per week, compared to moderate physical activity less than 3.5 h/week. And OR of the female was 0.67(95%CI 0.47-0.95, P<0.05). The vast majority of physical activity in China among the elderly is domestic and light physical activity. Light physical activity and moderate physical activity duration increments in female and moderate physical activity duration increments in male were associated with decreased risk of muscle mass loss.

When mothers do it all: gender-role norms, women’s employment, and fertility intentions in post-industrial societies

Abstract Post-industrial countries with high rates of female labour force participation have generally had low fertility rates, but recent studies demonstrate that this is no longer the case. This has generated increased attention to how greater gender equality in the private sphere of the household may contribute to a positive relationship between women’s employment rates and fertility. Building on recent scholarship demonstrating the multidimensionality of gender-role attitudes, we argue that conversely, the prevalence of a gender-role ideology that supports women’s employment but places greater priority on their role as caregivers may depress the higher-order fertility intentions of working mothers. Using data from 25 European countries, we find that this type of gender-role ideology (egalitarian familism) moderates the relationship between mothers’ full-time employment and their intention to have a second child. This holds even after accounting for key features of the policy environment that are likely to mitigate work–family conflict. The analysis suggests that conflicting normative expectations for women’s work and family roles tend to dampen working mothers’ second-order fertility intentions, independent of work–family reconciliation policies.

The ambivalent trajectory of the German gender regime: Are female breadwinner families an indicator of a shift towards a public gender regime?

There seems to be some evidence that Germany is turning from being a ‘domestic’ to a ‘public’ gender regime. The extension of public childcare, increasing female labour market participation rates and the introduction of gender quotas, among other changes, point to this development. However, a detailed analysis reveals an ambivalent and even contradictory trajectory. This development can only be understood by applying an intersectional perspective and looking at families with different socioeconomic backgrounds, class, and gender. By focusing on family households in which women are the main earners, this paper illustrates changes and stability in different domains and contributes to the understanding of the German gender regime's trajectory. On the basis of a qualitative study conducted in West and East Germany, the article shows that many women who are the main breadwinners in their families are in this position not because of modernised gender relations and by their own choice, but ‘involuntarily’, because of their partners' weak labour market position and increasing pressure within the German welfare state to earn their own living and contribute to covering the needs of the household through gainful employment. Many female-breadwinner families do not live reversed, modernised gender roles, but face an above-average risk for poverty and have little room for manoeuvre. Political and economic factors, as well as norms (in the domains of polity, economy and civil society), help to explain these findings. We see mainly neoliberal, activation policies directed at households with low resources, whereas the institutional framework for households with higher incomes has remained relatively stable. The results of the study show that dual-earner households are not necessarily progressive and dual earning is a poor indicator of a gender regime change.

Assessment of Self-Determined Motivation in Exercise: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

systematic review and meta-analysis to assess associations between types of self-determined motivation in exercise with selected parameters of studies using Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaires (BREQs). Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we screened 244 studies from PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus against criteria and selected 43 articles for qualitative synthesis. Of those, 40 studies reporting mean scores and standard deviations of six regulations of BREQs, representing self-determined motivation types, were selected for meta-analysis. The pooled mean scores were the highest in intrinsic regulation at 4.00 (95%CI: 2.92–5.09), followed by identified, integrated, introjected, external, and motivation regulations at 3.65 (95%CI: 3.06–4.24), 3.11 (95%CI: 2.68–3.55), 2.21 (95%CI: 1.88–2.53), 1.42 (95%CI: 0.93–1.92), and 0.94 (95%CI: 0.67–1.12), respectively. Findings indicated significant associations between longer exercise duration and introjected (β = 0.014, p = 0.027) and identified (β = 0.014, p = 0.021) regulations. An inverse relationship was found with a higher female participation rate (β=-0.047, p=0.042), while exercise settings in sports and fitness centers exhibited a stronger association with intrinsic motivations (β=2.700, p=0.039). No significant differences were observed among the versions of BREQs in measuring self-determined motivation. This investigation of context invariance utilizing the particular validated scale contributes to furthering comprehension of the instrument in sports and fitness settings. Additionally, it is essential to take into account sex and the exercise environment concerning self-determined motivation when predicting long-term exercise adherence. Doi: 10.28991/HEF-2023-04-02-08 Full Text: PDF

Problems Faced by Working Women in India: An Obstacle for Women Work Participation

India is termed as a traditional country with wide diversity in religion, ethnicity, culture and customs. The role of women in India is mostly limited to household and domestic works. women in India’s workplace remain significantly under- represented. India has a female work participation rate of 20 percent which is less then have of global average of 47 percent. The major objective of the study is to identify the factors responsible and creating problems for working women in India and how it has an effect on female work participation rate. The present study is conceptual in nature and is based on secondary data collected from various sources. The data collected is analysed with the aid of simple growth rate to understand the comparison in the female work participation rate over time. As per the study results it was understood that the FWPR has increased at a growth rate of 12.50 percent. Although it has been very much tough for the women in India, to survive after facing many hurdles, exploitation and discrimination still they are being persistent in their efforts and constantly trying to make their existence noticeable in the male dominated Indian society.

Sex Differences in Marathon Running: Physiology and Participation

ABSTRACT Introduction Males are faster than females in the marathon, largely due to sex differences in physiology, but sociological factors influencing lower participation rates of females than males may also contribute. Purpose This study aimed to determine whether the sex difference in marathon performance is predicted by the proportion of male to female runners and how this prediction changes among lower-placed runners across age groups. Methods The number of male and female finishers within 5-yr age groups (20–79 yr) and times of the first 10 age-group runners in the Chicago (CHI; 1996–2018) and New York City (NYC; 1980–2019) marathons were analyzed. Results The male/female participation ratio declined across years for the CHI (1996–2018: 2.19–1.16, P < 0.001) and NYC (1980–2019: 6.76–1.36, P < 0.001) marathons, but increased with age (P < 0.001) and place (1st–10th place, P < 0.001). Male runners were faster than female runners across all age groups for the CHI (17.2% ± 6.8%, n = 2328) and NYC (18.8% ± 7.4%, n = 4226) marathons. The sex difference in performance was smallest for 1st-place and largest for 10th-place finishers for both marathons. The ratio of the number of male to female runners was associated with the sex difference in velocity for NYC (r 2 = 0.32, P < 0.001) and CHI (r 2 = 0.28, P < 0.001). The strength of the associations increased between 1st and 10th places. Conclusions Fewer female relative to male runners in an age group predicted a larger sex difference in performance in two world-class marathons. Low participation rates of female runners mask an accurate understanding of the sex differences in marathon performance due to physiology, with broader implications for women’s health in biomedical research.