How Do Women Weather Economic Shocks? A Review of the Evidence

Do women weather economic shocks differently than men? The evidence shows this to be the case, especially in low-income countries. The first-round impacts of economic crises on women's employment should be particularly salient in the current downturn, since women have increased their participation in the globalized workforce and therefore are more directly affected by the contraction of employment than in the past. Crises also have second-round impacts, as vulnerable households respond to declining income with coping strategies that can vary significantly by gender. In the past, women from low-income households have typically entered the labor force, while women from rich households have often exited the labor market in response to economic crises. In contrast, men's labor force participation rates have remained largely unchanged. Evidence also suggests that women defer fertility during economic crises and that child schooling and child survival are adversely affected, mainly in low-income countries, with adverse effects on health being greater for girls than for boys. In middle-income countries, by contrast, the effects on children's schooling and health are more nuanced, and gender differences less salient. Providing women in poor households with income during economic downturns makes economic sense. This paper reviews workfare programs and cash transfers and finds that the former provide poor women with income only when they include specific design features. The latter have been effective in providing mothers with income and protecting the wellbeing of children in periods of economic downturn.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Sabarwal, Shwetlena, Sinha, Nistha, Buvinic, Mayra
Format:	Policy Research Working Paper biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	2010-12-01
Subjects:	ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT, ADVERSE EFFECTS, AGE GROUP, AGE GROUPS, BABIES, BASIC EDUCATION, BASIC SANITATION, BEHAVIOR CHANGE, BULLETIN, BUSINESS CYCLE, BUSINESS CYCLES, CAPITAL INVESTMENTS, CHILD CARE, CHILD HEALTH, CHILD LABOR, CHILD MORTALITY RATES, CHILD SURVIVAL, CHILDBEARING, CONSUMPTION SMOOTHING, CROSS-SECTIONAL DATA, CULTURAL CHANGE, DEBT CRISES, DEBT CRISIS, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS, DISABILITY, ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, ECONOMIC CRISES, ECONOMIC DOWNTURNS, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, ECONOMIC SHOCK, ECONOMIC SHOCKS, ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN, ECONOMICS OF GENDER, EDUCATED WOMEN, EMPLOYABILITY, EMPLOYMENT, EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM, EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS, EMPLOYMENT RATES, EMPLOYMENT STATUS, EMPLOYMENT TRENDS, EQUALITY FOR WOMEN, ETHNIC GROUP, EXPORT-ORIENTED INDUSTRIES, FAMILY INCOME, FAMILY PLANNING, FAMILY WORK, FEMALE EMPLOYMENT, FEMALE HEADS, FEMALE LABOR, FEMALE LABOR FORCE, FEMALE LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION, FEMALE MORTALITY, FEMALE WORK, FEMALE WORKERS, FEMINIST, FERTILITY, FERTILITY BEHAVIOR, FERTILITY RATE, FERTILITY RATES, FEWER WOMEN, FINANCIAL MARKETS, FULL EMPLOYMENT, GENDER, GENDER ANALYSIS, GENDER DIFFERENCES, GENDER DIFFERENTIALS, GENDER EQUALITY, GENDER EQUALITY IN RIGHTS, GENDER SPECIFIC, GIRL INFANTS, GIRLS, HEALTH EFFECTS, HEALTH OUTCOMES, HIGH CHILD MORTALITY, HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS, HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS, HOUSEHOLD INCOME, HOUSEHOLD LEVEL, HOUSEHOLD POVERTY, HOUSEHOLD SURVEY, HUMAN CAPITAL, HUMAN RESOURCES, HUSBANDS, ILLITERATE WOMEN, ILLNESS, INCOME SUPPORT PROGRAM, INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION, INFANT, INFANT DEATHS, INFANT MORTALITY, INFANT MORTALITY RATE, INFANT MORTALITY RATES, INFORMAL ECONOMY, INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT, INFORMAL LABOR MARKET, INFORMAL SECTOR, INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON WOMEN, INTERVENTION, JOB LOSS, JOB LOSSES, JOB OPPORTUNITIES, JOBS, LABOR ECONOMICS, LABOR FORCE, LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION, LABOR MARKET, LABOR MARKET CONDITIONS, LABOR MARKET IMPACT, LABOR MARKET OUTCOMES, LABOR MARKETS, LABOR POLICY, LABOR SUPPLY, LABOUR, LABOUR FORCE, LABOUR OFFICE, LABOUR SUPPLY, LARGE NUMBERS OF WOMEN, LIVE BIRTHS, LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES, LOWER FERTILITY, MALE COUNTERPARTS, MALE PARTICIPATION, MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, MARKET WAGE, MARKET WAGES, MARRIED WOMEN, MEDICINES, MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL, MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS, MINIMUM WAGE, MINIMUM WAGES, MORTALITY RATE, NEO-NATAL MORTALITY, NEONATAL MORTALITY, NUTRITION, NUTRITIONAL STATUS, OLDER WOMEN, POLICY RESEARCH, POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER, POLITICAL ECONOMY, POOR FAMILIES, POOR WOMEN, PREFERENCE FOR SONS, PREGNANCY, PREGNANT WOMEN, PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE, PRIMARY SCHOOL, PROGRESS, PROPORTION OF WOMEN, PUBLIC WORKS, PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAM, PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMS, PUBLIC WORKS SCHEMES, REMITTANCES, RETRENCHED WORKERS, RICHER COUNTRIES, RISING DEMAND, RISING UNEMPLOYMENT, ROLE OF WOMEN, RURAL AREAS, RURAL HOUSEHOLDS, RURAL WOMEN, SAFETY, SAFETY NET, SAFETY NETS, SANITATION FACILITIES, SCARCE RESOURCES, SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, SECONDARY EDUCATION, SERVICE INDUSTRIES, SEX, SEX OF THE CHILD, SINGLE MOTHERS, SPOUSES, STATE UNIVERSITY, STATUS OF WOMEN, SUPPLY CHAINS, TEMPORARY INCOME SUPPORT, TEMPORARY JOB, TRAINING PROGRAMS, UNEMPLOYED, UNEMPLOYED POOR, UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, UNEMPLOYMENT RATES, UNPAID FAMILY WORKERS, URBAN AREAS, VULNERABILITY, VULNERABLE GROUPS, WAGE RATE, WASTE, WASTE RECYCLING, WORK ACTIVITIES, WORKER, WORKERS, WORKFORCE, WORKING CONDITIONS, WORKING WOMEN, YOUNG MEN, YOUNG WOMEN, YOUNGER WORKERS,
Online Access:	http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20101207080622 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/3978
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