Title: A regional analysis of female labour force participation in Africa: application of seemingly unrelated regression

Authors: Omowumi Omodunni Idowu; Taiwo Owoeye

Addresses: Department of Economics, Ekiti State University, PMB 5363 Ado Ekiti, Nigeria ' Department of Economics, Ekiti State University, PMB 5363 Ado Ekiti, Nigeria

Abstract: This study modelled female labour force participation in all the five regions in Africa. It investigated the regional differences in female labour force participation (FLFP) in West, East, North, Southern and Central African regions over the period 1990-2018 and their implications for economic policy. The study used seemingly unrelated regression (SUREG) to analyse differences in demand and supply factors of FLFP in the five regions of Africa. The study discovered that wages have significant effects on FLFP in all the regions except Central Africa while GDP growth and per capita were not significant in North Africa. Meanwhile, it found that the major demand side factor of FLFP across all African regions during this period was gender gap in labour participation, while fertility influenced female decision to supply labour in all the regions. These findings are important for government/policymakers in each sub-region to develop a policy framework within its economic, social and political contexts in order to improve FLFP in the region.

Keywords: female; labour force participation; demand factors; supply factors; West Africa; East Africa; North Africa; Southern Africa; Central Africa; regional differences; seemingly unrelated regression; SUREG; economic policy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEPEE.2023.132534

International Journal of Economic Policy in Emerging Economies, 2023 Vol.17 No.4, pp.465 - 489

Received: 16 Dec 2019
Accepted: 11 Jul 2020
Published online: 27 Jul 2023 *

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