Low Female Labor Force Participation in Sri Lanka : Contributory Factors, Challenges and Policy Implications

Abstract

Even though Sri Lanka is a fore-runner
 in many human development dimensions and aspects of gender
 equality amongst the South Asian countries, it is similar to
 other South Asian countries when it comes to women's
 participation in economic activities. Female labor force
 participation has not changed much in recent decades and
 remained stagnant at a rate around 30 to 35 percent of
 working age women. This rate is much lower than one would
 expect given the educational attainment of the female
 population in Sri Lanka. In order to encourage increased
 women s participation in economic activities, the first
 condition is to understand what is keeping them out of the
 scene. This paper analyzes the underlying reasons behind low
 participation rates of women in economic activities. It also
 investigates the employment outcomes, occupational choice,
 rates of returns, and skills set of economically active
 women in comparison with men to identify and understand the
 gaps. The findings have been used to suggest potential
 policies and programs that can help remove some of those
 barriers and encourage and enable women to become more
 economically active in the labor market.