Abstract:
The involvement of women in the labour force is a crucial factor in the country's
economic development. This study asserted the ongoing economic problem of low
female labour force participation. This was a puzzle when compared with the
nation’s female literacy level, life expectancy, population growth, health facilities
and higher education among the females. This research aims to find the factors
that affect the female labour force among nine provinces in Sri Lanka. This study
used secondary data from the Sri Lanka Labour Force survey conducted by the
Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) in 2022. This study applied ten logistic
regression models by using Female labour force participation and the dependent
variable for Sri Lanka and nine provinces. This result shows a decline in female
labour force participation when moving away from the Western province. This
study finds the socio-economic factors, fertility, language literacy, disability and
training as the key determinants specific to each province. Then it represents the
regional disparities in female labour force participation. This research postulated
the policies recommended to address the regional development programmes,
introduce a capable work schedule and provide the children’s infrastructure
facilities, especially by focusing on the economic profile of each province.
