Discriminatory Environment, Firms' Discriminatory Behavior, and Women's Employment in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Hyland, Marie ; Islam, Asif ; Muzi, Silvia

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: GENDER;    LABOR LAW;    EMPLOYMENT;    DISCRIMINATION;    GENDER BIAS;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-9224
RP-ID  :  WPS9224

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

This paper contributes to betterunderstanding firms' discriminatory behavior in thepresence of gender-based legal discrimination and itslinkages with labor market outcomes for women in adeveloping country setting. Using data collected through theWorld Bank Enterprise Surveys in the Democratic Republic ofCongo, the paper documents the existence of nonnegligibleemployer discrimination and limitations in women'sautonomy in the presence of a discriminatory environment.Interestingly, these are more pervasive outside the capitalcity, Kinshasa, which suggests that cultural norms ordifferences in regulation enforcement may be at play. Thepaper also finds that firms' discriminatory behaviorharms women's labor market outcomes, in theirrepresentation among the upper echelons of management andparticipation in the overall workforce. The negativerelationship between restrictions from discriminatorybehaviors and female employment is particularly strong inthe manufacturing sector.