Why are women’s employment rates declining in Egypt?
ICGC Commons for Critical Inquiry (537 Heller Hall) and livestream (register here!).
Despite rising educational attainment, women’s employment rates have declined in Egypt, falling to just 15% as of 2023. This chapter explores the determinants of declining female employment rates in Egypt. The research considers demand side factors, including potential discrimination and the changing structure of the economy, as well as supply side factors, such as gender norms, domestic responsibilities, and education mismatch. Analyses illustrate trends in women’s employment and review the rich literature on drivers of women’s employment in Egypt. A particular focus is how the policy environment shapes both supply and demand for women’s labor. While women have become increasingly educated, restrictive gender norms and disproportionate care responsibilities limit what types of employment they can accept. Those types of jobs have become decreasingly available since structural reform curtailed public sector hiring. The private sector has not created sufficient “women-friendly” employment. Policy and programmatic interventions that try to increase women’s employment will have to either create woman-friendly jobs or shift gender norms that restrict women’s employment.
About the Speaker
Dr. Caroline Krafft is an associate professor at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. She received her master’s degree in public policy from the Humphrey School and her PhD from the Department of Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota. Her research examines issues in development economics, primarily labor, education, health, and inequality in the Middle East and North Africa. Current projects include work on gender and labor markets, women’s empowerment, social protection policy, green jobs, conflict and displacement, and education quality and inequality. Her research work engages government partners, such as the Ministry of Education (Jordan), Ministry of Higher Education (Egypt), and Ministry of Social Solidarity (Egypt). She also consults with organizations such as GIZ, ILO, UNESCO, UNICEF, USAID, and the World Bank on pressing policy issues.