Gender Inequality as Affected by Education and Labor Force Participation Rate: A Case Study of South Asia

Abstract

This comprehensive study looks into gender inequality in South Asia, precisely the effect of education and labor force participation on GDP growth. Secondary data from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Iran, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and the Maldives are rigorously tested for stationarity from 1990 to 2021. The ARDL model investigates both short-run and long-run dynamics among variables. The findings show that the primary conclusions draw attention to the diverse effects of socioeconomic determinants on GDP in the South Asian context. The region's economic growth is found to be negatively impacted over the long term by inflation and persistent gender disparity. On the other hand, short-term variations in variables like inflation, male labor force participation, and secondary education for females do not significantly affect GDP. On contrary, it is discovered that long-term gains in male labor force participation and female education have a favorable impact on GDP. In order to promote economic growth in South Asia, our findings highlight the significance of tackling gender inequality and inflation in addition to stressing the need for ongoing expenditures in education and labor participation.