Economic Growth and Female Labor Participation in Islamic Countries: Evidence from Labor Kuznets Curve

Authors : Saime Kavakcı

Pages : 2180-2194

Doi:10.15869/itobiad.1552469

View : 50 | Download : 83

Publication Date : 2024-12-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :As a result of industrialization and various economic developments, female participation in the labor force has been ensured and this participation has increased day by day. Public, and private sector representatives make various investments, especially for including females in the labor force. There are many studies in the literature on the relationship between female participation in the labor force and economic development processes. The main question of this study is whether it is possible to differentiate the U-shape, which is realized as pre-industrial and post-industrial in modern countries, in Islamic countries. Contrary to the existing literature, the study argues that there is an inverted U-shaped (Kuznets curve) relationship between female labor and economic growth in Islamic countries, not a U-shaped relationship. Accordingly, it is argued that women in Islamic countries join the labor force when the economy is deteriorating and leave the labor force when the economy is improving. Within the framework of this hypothesis, the study investigates the Kuznets curve relationship between female labor force participation and economic development using data from 39 Islamic countries between 1990 and 2019. The study employs panel data analysis, a quantitative research method, to explore this relationship. As a result of the study, the Kuznets curve was found in at least one model in Iran, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Sudan, Tunisia, Senegal and Comoros. The U-shaped feminization hypothesis is confirmed in at least one model in Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Malaysia, Oman, Türkiye, Yemen, UAE, Burkina Faso, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. In line with the study\\\'s claim, some Islamic countries represent the Kuznets curve contrary to the general feminization U theory. Religion, culture, and legal codes are thought to be the reason behind the Kuznets curve found between female labor force participation rate and economic development.
Keywords : Kadın İstihdamı, Ekonomik Büyüme, Kuznets Eğrisi, U Şekli, İslam Ülkeleri