Assessing the Effect of Gender Equality before the Law on Female Labor Participation and GDP per capita in Central America Panama and the Dominican Republic

Abstract

Women's participation in the labor market in Central America is low for the international standard. Increase such participation is on the agenda of many policymakers who want to improve women's access to quality employment. In this paper, we use data from Central America, Panama, and the Dominican Republic to assess whether gender equality in the law helps increasing women's participation in the labor force and, therefore, boosts GDP per capita. The study is based on two econometric methodologies to evaluate distinct aspects of the economic mechanism.

Predictors of cognitive change in cognitively healthy older women in Panama: the PARI-HD study

“…In Central America, Panama is projected to have the 3rd highest percentage increase in dementia cases (273%) due to socioeconomic and health factors ( 5 ). Although Panama is classified as a middle-high income country, it is globally ranked as one of the most unequal nations in terms of wealth distribution and is the third most unequal country in the LAC region ( 6 , 7 ). A large proportion of the population cannot access high quality public services, such as health care, education, and sanitation.…”

“…Furthermore, Panama's public education and healthcare systems are constrained by limited funding, precarious infrastructure, and frequent shortages of workers. These factors are implicated in the high prevalence of chronic illnesses, such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity, as well as health disparities across the population, given that many people do not receive timely and effective healthcare services or adequate health education ( 6 , 8 , 9 ).…”