Labour Market Participation of Women in Rural Bangladesh: The Role of Microfinance. Issue 10 (2nd October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Islam, Asadul; Pakrashi, Debayan
• Is Part Of: Journal of development studies. Volume 56:Issue 10(2020)
• Page Start: 1927
• Page End: 1946
• Publication Date: 2020-10-02
• Subjects: Economic development -- Periodicals; Economic history -- 1945- -- Periodicals; Developing countries -- Economic conditions -- Periodicals; Développement économique -- Périodiques; Histoire économique -- 1945- -- Périodiques; Pays en voie de développement -- Conditions économiques -- Périodiques; 338.91
• DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2020.1725482
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-0388

Abstract

Abstract: Using a large panel dataset on the labour supply behaviours of women and men within households in rural Bangladesh, we find robust evidence that the effects of microfinance on the labour supply are not symmetrical for women and men across different occupations. We also find that giving households access to microfinance helps to smooth out the seasonality in the labour supply via on-farm self-employment-based activities. Within households, the male members' participation in off-farm activities increased significantly, while the women's improved but still remained at a low level. Overall, the results suggest that microfinance improves labour market activities for men more than for women, even though the credit is targeted mainly at women.