Low Female Labor Force Participation in Sri Lanka : Contributory Factors, Challenges and Policy Implications

Even though Sri Lanka is a fore-runner in many human development dimensions and aspects of gender equality amongst the South Asian countries, it is similar to other South Asian countries when it comes to women's participation in economic activities. Female labor force participation has not changed much in recent decades and remained stagnant at a rate around 30 to 35 percent of working age women. This rate is much lower than one would expect given the educational attainment of the female population in Sri Lanka. In order to encourage increased women s participation in economic activities, the first condition is to understand what is keeping them out of the scene. This paper analyzes the underlying reasons behind low participation rates of women in economic activities. It also investigates the employment outcomes, occupational choice, rates of returns, and skills set of economically active women in comparison with men to identify and understand the gaps. The findings have been used to suggest potential policies and programs that can help remove some of those barriers and encourage and enable women to become more economically active in the labor market.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	World Bank
Language:	English en_US
Published:	Washington, DC 2013-01
Subjects:	ACCESS TO INFORMATION, ACCESS TO RESOURCES, ACCESS TO SERVICES, ACCOUNTING, ADEQUATE EDUCATION, AGE COHORT, AGE GROUP, AGED WOMEN, AGGREGATE GROWTH, BOTH SEXES, CARE CENTERS, CAREGIVERS, CENSUS OF POPULATION, CHILD CARE, CHILD-CARE, CITIZENS, CIVIL WAR, CLERKS, COGNITIVE SKILLS, CONTINUING EDUCATION, DAY LABORERS, DECISION MAKING, DECLINE IN FERTILITY, DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION, DEPENDENCY RATIO, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DISCRIMINATION, DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN, DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES, DOMESTIC WORKERS, EARNINGS REGRESSION, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, EDUCATION OF WOMEN, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, ELDERLY, EMPLOYEE, EMPLOYMENT, EMPLOYMENT GROWTH, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES, EMPLOYMENT RATE, EMPLOYMENT RATE OF WOMEN, EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES, EQUALLY QUALIFIED WOMEN, FEMALE EDUCATION, FEMALE EMPLOYMENT, FEMALE LABOR, FEMALE LABOR FORCE, FEMALE LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION, FEMALE MIGRANT WORKERS, FEMALE MIGRANTS, FEMALE POPULATION, FEMALE WORKERS, FERTILITY RATES, FINDING EMPLOYMENT, FOREIGN REMITTANCES, GENDER, GENDER ANALYSIS, GENDER DIFFERENCES, GENDER DISCRIMINATION, GENDER EQUALITY, GENDER GAP, GENDER GAPS, GENDER PARITY, GENDER SEGREGATION, GENERAL EDUCATION, GOVERNMENT POLICIES, HIGHLY EDUCATED WOMEN, HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION, HOUSEHOLD INCOME, HOUSEHOLD SIZE, HOUSEHOLD SURVEY, HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS, HOUSEHOLD WORK, HUMAN CAPITAL, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN RESOURCES, INCOME EARNING, INFORMAL SECTOR, INHERITANCE, INTERNATIONAL MIGRANT, INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, INTERPERSONAL SKILLS, INTERVENTIONS, JOB MARKET, JOB OPPORTUNITIES, JOB SEARCH, JOB STATUS, JOB VACANCIES, JOBS, KINDERGARTEN, LABOR ECONOMICS, LABOR FORCE, LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION, LABOR MARKET, LABOR MARKET OUTCOMES, LABOR MARKETS, LABOR MIGRANTS, LABOR MIGRATION, LABOR PRODUCTIVITY, LABOR PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH, LABOR SUPPLY, LABOUR, LABOUR FORCE, LABOUR SUPPLY, LEGAL STATUS, LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, LEVELS OF EDUCATION, LOW FERTILITY, MALE COUNTERPART, MALE WORKERS, MARITAL STATUS, MARRIED WOMEN, MIGRANT, MIGRANT LABOR, MIGRANT MEN, MIGRANT WORKERS, NATIONAL POPULATION, NUMBER OF CHILDREN, NUMBER OF WORKERS, NUMERACY, OCCUPATION, OCCUPATIONS, OFFICIAL LANGUAGES, OLD MEN, PAID WORKERS, PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN, PARTICIPATION RATES, PERSONALITY, POLICY IMPLICATIONS, POLICY MAKERS, POLICY RESEARCH, POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER, POPULATION CHANGE, PRESCHOOL CHILDREN, PREVIOUS DISCUSSION, PREVIOUS SECTION, PRIMARY EDUCATION, PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT, PRIVATE SECTOR, PRIVATE SECTORS, PRIVATE TRAINING, PRIVATE TRAINING INSTITUTIONS, PROBIT REGRESSION, PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, PUBLIC LIFE, PUBLIC SECTOR JOBS, READING, REASONING, RELIGIOUS GROUPS, REMITTANCE, REMITTANCES, RESPECT, RETIREMENT, RETURNS TO EDUCATION, RURAL AREAS, RURAL LOCATIONS, RURAL WOMEN, SAFETY, SANITATION, SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, SCHOOL CHILDREN, SECONDARY EDUCATION, SECONDARY SCHOOL, SECONDARY SCHOOLING, SECURITY SITUATION, SELF EMPLOYED, SERVICE SECTOR, SEX, SINGLE MOTHERS, SKILL DEVELOPMENT, SKILLED OCCUPATIONS, SKILLED WORKERS, SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, SKILLS TRAINING, SMALL LOANS, SOCIAL IMPACT, SOCIAL NORMS, STATUS OF WOMEN, STD, SUSTAINABLE GROWTH, TECHNICAL SKILLS, TERTIARY EDUCATION, TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY, TRAINING CENTERS, TRAINING COURSES, TRAINING PROGRAM, TRAINING PROGRAMS, TRANSPORTATION, UNEMPLOYED, UNEMPLOYED LABOR, UNEMPLOYMENT, UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, UNEMPLOYMENT RATES, URBAN AREAS, URBAN WOMEN, VOCATIONAL EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL TRAINING, WAGE DATA, WAGE PREMIUM, WAGE PREMIUMS, WAGE SUBSIDY, WAGE SUBSIDY PROGRAMS, WAGES, WATER SUPPLY, WOMAN, WOMEN IN LABOR, WOMEN WITH CHILDREN, WORK EXPERIENCE, WORK FORCE, WORKER, WORKERS, WORKFORCE, WORKING WOMEN, YOUNG CHILDREN, YOUNG COUPLE, YOUTH, YOUTH EMPLOYMENT,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/01/19344954/low-female-labor-force-participation-sri-lanka-contributory-factors-challenges-policy-implications https://hdl.handle.net/10986/17871
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