Determinants Of Female Labor Force Participation In Developing Asian Economies: A Structural, Demographic, And Digital Perspective

Abstract

This research examines macroeconomic, demographic and technological factors determining the level of female workforce participation in 23 developing economies in Asia. Based on a balanced panel dataset from 2003-2024 we utilize Fixed Effect (FE) and 2SLS models. The findings indicate that the GDP per capita has a weak negative correlation with female labor force participation implying that structural transformation in the area has not yet been reflected into inclusive jobs to the women population and the fertility rate has a string negative correlation, whereas female life expectancy positively and significantly impacts participation. Health infrastructure is significant because of the negative influence of infant mortality. The increase of urban population is not statistically significant. However, to the contrary, Internet engagement has impacted negatively, showing that there are ongoing gendered digital divide. These results emphasize that demographic and institutional variables are still decisive in the matter of women labor market participation.