Women at Work: An International Perspective on the Interconnected Forces of Human Development, Female Education, and Labour Force Participation

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the Human Development Index (HDI) and Tertiary School Enrolment Rate of Female (TSEF) on Female Labour Force Participation (FLPR) globally and by continent. Secondary data on sixty countries, including nine African countries, 18 Asian countries, 27 European countries, two North American countries, and four South American countries, were examined between 2000 and 2020. The Panel regression model was used to investigate the regional impact, and the Multiple Linear regression model was used to investigate the country-specific impact. The study found that HDI and TSEF are two significant factors influencing FLPR. When country-specific results were considered, the effect of each variable on FLPR revealed mixed results, with positive and negative impacts based on the characteristics of the selected country. The findings offer an in-depth understanding of how HDI and TSEF affect FLPR, which will aid policy makers in establishing and amending strategies to accelerate women's employment and, consequently, economics growth. This study focused on the HDI and TSEF variables that were rarely used in existing literature together on FLPR.