Why a Large Share of Women Opt to Stay at Home: an Exploratory Study

Abstract

In Sri Lanka, despite education gender parity favouring females and positive outcomes in female educa two thirds of the working age women opt out of the labour force to stay at home. The largest share op at home without participating in the labour force are those who dropped at the upper secondary level o This study sought to explore the factors whic are likely to affect labour force participation of women an that of upper secondary school dropout women. We carried out a quantitative data analysis using generated by the Department of Census & Statistics’ Labour Force Survey 2014 and Household Expenditure Survey 2012/13 and an analysis of qualitative data collected from labour market experts. In with the reviewed literature, the quantitative data suggests, education, marital and maternal status, e main supply side factors, and on the demand side the labour market factors affect the women’s l participation choice. The data nonetheless revealed that where employability is high the role of marital a status play only a minor role. The qualitative data suggests that the reservation wages of women secondary education are likely to be high compared to that of the lower educated, but the absence of s skills required to access jobs meeting their reservation wage levels and absence of adequate employme are likely to be important factors discouraging labour force participation.