On the Compatibility of Islam and Gender Equality |
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Authors: | Niels Spierings Jeroen Smits Mieke Verloo |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Political Science, Institute of Management Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9108, 6500 HK Nijmegen, The Netherlands;(2) Department of Economics, Institute of Management Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | Although the Muslim world is sometimes depicted as a homogeneous civilization lacking democracy and gender equality, Muslim
countries show tremendous economic, political and cultural variation. In this paper, this variation is used to gain insight
into the determinants of women’s labor market participation (LMP) in the Muslim world. We use data on 45 Muslim countries
and apply SEM models to determine effects of modernization, democracy, cultural background, and state Islamization on women’s
participation in the formal economy (absolute LMP) and on the share of women in the labor force (relative LMP). Women’s absolute
LMP is higher in Muslim countries with higher levels of economic development and in the oil-exporting countries. For women’s
relative LMP, practical democracy (the degree to which people actively participate in the system) takes in a key position.
It has a strong positive effect on women’s relative LMP and mediates the effects of economic development (positive), formal
democratic structures (positive) and state Islamization (negative) on women’s relative LMP. Results indicate that in these
countries modernization may lead to empowerment of women by increasing their absolute LMP, but that for attaining gender equality
the political opportunity structures is most important. |
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