Saudi Journal of Economics and Finance (SJEF)
Volume-2 | Issue-05 | 251--256
Original Research Article
Factors Affecting the Scenario of Women Participation in the Agricultural Labor Force in Punjab, Pakistan
Nazia Tabasam, Anuam Arshad, Shabbir Ahmad, Saira Akhtar
Published : Oct. 30, 2018
Abstract
The underlying research problem was the outcome of a crucial need to estimate
the scenario of women participation in the agricultural labor force in the Punjab Province
of Pakistan. It is an established fact that agriculture is the backbone of the economy of
Pakistan and the rural women take part in the agricultural activities with zeal and zest as
the male to female ratio is slightly higher in Pakistan according to the census of 2018.
There are numerous factors which affect the female participation in the agricultural labor
force. Hence, this study was an effort to identify such factors and quantify their effect on
female labor force participation decisions in the rural areas of the Punjab Province,
Pakistan. Cross Sectional data of 1800 women for the years 2001-02 and 2010-11 were
extensively used which was collected by Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES).
The identified influencing factors were: Age, educational level, household size, monthly
income, and the status of women. The analysis of the logit model showed a positive
relationship between female age, educational level, household size, household monthly
income, and female as the household head, on the female labor force participation (FLFP)
decisions in the agricultural activities. Negative relationship of FLFP was found with
married women and the infants (under 5 years) in the household for the year 2001-02. The
status of women as daughter, daughter-in-law and others (cousin, aunt etc.) were
negatively influencing the FLFP decisions. But for the year 2010-11, the presence of the
infants in the household, age, educational level, household size, household monthly
income was positively related to FLFP. The status of women in the household as the
household head, daughter, daughter-in-law and others (cousin, aunt etc.) were also
positively influencing the FLFP decisions in rural areas of the Punjab Province of
Pakistan. The findings of this present research study suggest that in focusing on the
factors that encourage women to participate in agricultural labor force of Pakistan, an
economic revolution can be brought in all the socio-economic spheres along with the
emancipation of the suppressed women in the other provinces of Pakistan such as Sindh
and Baluchistan where though women participate in the labor force but their participation
still is not recognized by the dominated male community.