Political Reservations and Women’s Entrepreneurship in India

This paper quantifies the link between the timing of state-level implementations of political reservations for women in India with the role of women in India's manufacturing sector. It does not find evidence that overall employment of women in manufacturing increased after the reforms. However, the analysis finds significant evidence that more women-owned establishments were created in the unorganized/informal sector. These establishments were concentrated in industries where women entrepreneurs have been traditionally active and the entry was mainly found among household-based establishments. This heightened entrepreneurship does not appear linked to changes in reporting, better access to government contracts and business, or improved financing environments. One interpretation of these results is that the implementation of the political reservations inspired more women to open establishments, and they did so at a small establishment scale in industries where they had experience and/or the support networks of other women.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Ghani, Ejaz, Kerr, William R., O'Connell, Stephen D.
Format:	Policy Research Working Paper biblioteca
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2013-01
Subjects:	ACCESS TO FINANCE, ADVANCED ECONOMIES, ATTITUDES TOWARDS WOMEN, BRIBES, BUSINESS ACTIVITY, BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, BUSINESS OWNER, BUSINESS OWNERS, BUSINESS OWNERSHIP, BUSINESS TRAINING, CRIME, CRIMES, CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN, DEBT, DECENTRALIZATION, DEVELOPMENTAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP, DISCRIMINATION, DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN, ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, ECONOMIC BENEFITS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, ECONOMIC POLICY, ECONOMICS, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN, EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN, ENVIRONMENT FOR WOMEN, EQUIPMENT, EXPLOITATION, EXTERNAL FINANCE, EXTERNAL FINANCING, FAMILIES, FEMALE, FEMALE BUSINESSES, FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS, FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP, FIXED CAPITAL, FOOD PRODUCTS, GENDER, GENDER DIFFERENCES, GENDER EQUALITY, GENDER GAP, GENDER ISSUES, GENDER PARITY, GENDER QUOTAS, GENDERS, GIRLS, GREATER ACCESS, HOME, HOUSEHOLDS, HUMAN CAPITAL, INFORMAL SECTOR, INTEREST RATES, INTERNATIONAL BANK, LABOR MARKET, LAWS, LEGISLATION, LOAN, LOAN ACCESS, MICROFINANCE, NEW BUSINESSES, OBSTACLES TO GROWTH, OPPRESSION, PERCEPTIONS OF WOMEN, POLITICAL PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN, PREJUDICE, PRODUCTIVITY, RESIDENCE, ROLE OF WOMEN, SELF-EMPLOYMENT, SMALL BUSINESS, SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION, STATUS OF WOMEN, TEXTILES, UNICEF, UNION, VILLAGE, WILL, WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS, WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP, WOMEN IN BUSINESS, WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP, WOMEN IN POLITICS, WOMEN LEADERS, WOMEN LEGISLATORS, WOMEN'S ISSUES, WOOD,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/01/17151425/political-reservations-womens-entrepreneurship-india http://hdl.handle.net/10986/12190
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