Female labor force participation (FLFP) is an important indicator of women’s empowerment and economic development. However, in many developing countries, including Bangladesh, FLFP remains low due to various socio-cultural and economic barriers. These barriers include gender norms, family responsibilities, lack of education and skills, limited mobility and safety, and scarce employment opportunities. To overcome these barriers, it is essential to understand the factors that influence women’s decisions and aspirations to join the labor market and the interventions that can effectively promote FLFP.
MOMODa FOUNDATION, a non-profit organization working on education and social innovation in Bangladesh, collaborated with IDE-JETRO and Florida International University to conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) on “If and How Role Model Encourages Female Labor Force Participation (FLFP)?” in Gaibandha District, a rural area in northern Bangladesh. The RCT aimed to test the impact of exposing adolescent girls and their parents to successful female role models from their communities on their attitudes, preferences, and behaviors related to FLFP.
MOMODa FOUNDATION is presently conducting a phone-based follow-up survey to the respondents of the Female Labor Force Participation (FLFP) project for getting information regarding their present socio-economic and employment status. The survey will cover a total of 1514 respondents. Before that, MOMODa completed the FLFP project’s end-line survey in February 2023.
In the end-line survey, interviews were conducted with 1427 participants—girls and their parents—from the Gaibandha District’s four Upazilas, Polashbari, Gobindaganj, Shaghata, and Sadullapur. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) on “If and How Role Model Encourages Female Labor Force Participation (FLFP)?” was developed in Gaibandha in 2019 by MOMODa in collaboration with IDE-JETRO and Florida International University. As part of the intervention, MOMODa arranged 35 role model meetings and gave treatment group members free training.
Sample Size: 2500
Type of Research: RCT
Field of Research: Labour Market
Stage of Research: Endline completed
Investigators:
Dr. Momoe Makino (Senior Research Fellow, IDE-JETRO),
Dr. Abu Shonchoy (Associate Professor, Florida International University)
Partner:
Institute of Developing Economies in Japan External Trade Organization (IDE-JETRO)