Determinants of female labour force participation in rural Kenya

Abstract

This study analyses the factors that determine female labour force participation in the rural areas in Kenya with a view to identifying appropriate policy formulations that can help raise their labour force participation rate. The study uses the 1998/99 Integrated Labour Force Survey data which collected information on labour force participation status as well as information relating to the various socio-economic characteristics of the individual rural females. The analysis is a probit estimation of the labour force participation status which is dependent on the various socio-economic characteristics. The study findings show that formal education increases participation and that marital status is not an important factor in determining female labour force participation in rural areas. Other noted factors that positively influence female labour force participation are household headship status, household income, number of school going children and number of pre-school going children in a household. Household size was found to discourage participation. The findings suggest that the government should increase its investment towards women's education so as to increase their labour force participation.