There is an increasing concern in the development community about the increase in the
‘feminisation of bad jobs’ of many developing countries. Indeed, recent analysis shows a
growing proportion of women are in jobs with poor working conditions and low pay. But what
is driving this phenomenon? This paper addresses this issue by looking at the role of social
institutions, i.e. traditions, social norms and informal laws, in shaping labour market outcomes.
By applying the newly established Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) of the OECD on
44 developing countries, the paper finds that social institutions influence to a great extent activity
patterns and job quality for women. Our results suggest that addressing discriminating social
institutions is crucial for advancing gender equality.
Why Do so many Women End up in Bad Jobs?
A Cross-country Assessment
Working paper
OECD Development Centre Working Papers
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Abstract
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