Migration, labor, and women’s empowerment: Evidence from an agricultural value chain in Bangladesh
As a substantial portion of the rural labor force migrates to urban areas, it is commonly assumed that women could take over traditionally male tasks in agricultural production, with potentially empowering outcomes for women. We study how changes in the supply of labor may influence female labor par...
| Autores principales: | , , |
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| Formato: | Artículo preliminar |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
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International Food Policy Research Institute
2020
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/143542 |
| _version_ | 1855529255205601280 |
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| author | de Brauw, Alan Kramer, Berber Murphy, Mike |
| author_browse | Kramer, Berber Murphy, Mike de Brauw, Alan |
| author_facet | de Brauw, Alan Kramer, Berber Murphy, Mike |
| author_sort | de Brauw, Alan |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | As a substantial portion of the rural labor force migrates to urban areas, it is commonly assumed that women could take over traditionally male tasks in agricultural production, with potentially empowering outcomes for women. We study how changes in the supply of labor may influence female labor participation and empowerment outcomes. Using a detailed panel dataset on jute producers in Bangladesh, we test whether out-migration of household members and perceived labor shortages are associated with the share of household and hired labor performed by women, and women’s empowerment. When a household experiences reduced household or hired labor supply, we observe a relatively larger use of female household labor but not of female hired labor. We find that reduced male household labor supply is associated with improved wages mainly for male laborers, whereas reduced female household labor is associated with improved wages for male laborers and enhanced empowerment of other women in the household. These findings suggest that given existing gender norms, male and female labor are not perfect substitutes for one another, and as a result, male outmigration is not associated with improved outcomes for women in cash crop production. Our results demonstrate a need for better understanding of the role of gender in rural labor markets, particularly in contexts of rapid urbanization. |
| format | Artículo preliminar |
| id | CGSpace143542 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publishDateRange | 2020 |
| publishDateSort | 2020 |
| publisher | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| publisherStr | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1435422025-12-02T21:03:03Z Migration, labor, and women’s empowerment: Evidence from an agricultural value chain in Bangladesh de Brauw, Alan Kramer, Berber Murphy, Mike value chains gender women's empowerment agricultural value chains urban areas households labour empowerment agriculture rural urban migration migration rural areas women As a substantial portion of the rural labor force migrates to urban areas, it is commonly assumed that women could take over traditionally male tasks in agricultural production, with potentially empowering outcomes for women. We study how changes in the supply of labor may influence female labor participation and empowerment outcomes. Using a detailed panel dataset on jute producers in Bangladesh, we test whether out-migration of household members and perceived labor shortages are associated with the share of household and hired labor performed by women, and women’s empowerment. When a household experiences reduced household or hired labor supply, we observe a relatively larger use of female household labor but not of female hired labor. We find that reduced male household labor supply is associated with improved wages mainly for male laborers, whereas reduced female household labor is associated with improved wages for male laborers and enhanced empowerment of other women in the household. These findings suggest that given existing gender norms, male and female labor are not perfect substitutes for one another, and as a result, male outmigration is not associated with improved outcomes for women in cash crop production. Our results demonstrate a need for better understanding of the role of gender in rural labor markets, particularly in contexts of rapid urbanization. 2020-07-01 2024-05-22T12:14:57Z 2024-05-22T12:14:57Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/143542 en https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.06.018 https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhx023 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105445 https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.133061 https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134157 https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.135928 https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00TRHM.pdf Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute de Brauw, Alan; Kramer, Berber; and Murphy, Mike. 2020. Migration, labor, and women’s empowerment: Evidence from an agricultural value chain in Bangladesh. IFPRI Discussion Paper 1959. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.133936. |
| spellingShingle | value chains gender women's empowerment agricultural value chains urban areas households labour empowerment agriculture rural urban migration migration rural areas women de Brauw, Alan Kramer, Berber Murphy, Mike Migration, labor, and women’s empowerment: Evidence from an agricultural value chain in Bangladesh |
| title | Migration, labor, and women’s empowerment: Evidence from an agricultural value chain in Bangladesh |
| title_full | Migration, labor, and women’s empowerment: Evidence from an agricultural value chain in Bangladesh |
| title_fullStr | Migration, labor, and women’s empowerment: Evidence from an agricultural value chain in Bangladesh |
| title_full_unstemmed | Migration, labor, and women’s empowerment: Evidence from an agricultural value chain in Bangladesh |
| title_short | Migration, labor, and women’s empowerment: Evidence from an agricultural value chain in Bangladesh |
| title_sort | migration labor and women s empowerment evidence from an agricultural value chain in bangladesh |
| topic | value chains gender women's empowerment agricultural value chains urban areas households labour empowerment agriculture rural urban migration migration rural areas women |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/143542 |
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