Labor market development and women empowerment: An engine for rural development in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Rural labor markets in developing countries are evolving rapidly due to globalization. The demand by export-oriented industries for low-skill wage labor is increasing, leading to rising labor market participation rates of women. While most scholars recognize the important economic contributions of rural labor market development, there is no scientific consensus on the impact of wage employment on rural women’s welfare. Some argue that female employment leads to women’s empowerment and rural development, while others have demonstrated detrimental consequences, such as worker exploitation, domestic violence and a high workload. The aim of the research proposal is to understand and evaluate women’s participation in wage employment in rural areas in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). I will use panel survey data from multiple SSA countries to analyze the factors influencing women’s labor market decisions, and the impact of female wage employment on empowerment and development, such as nutrition, schooling and fertility. The results from this research will contribute importantly to the scientific debate on the development of rural labor markets and the welfare implications for women by providing empirical evidence and formulating more accurate theoretical assumptions. The empirical and theoretical evidence can be used to design policies that facilitate women’s access to labor markets, thereby reducing gender inequality and stimulating rural development.