March 2022 ADDRESSING GENDER-BASED OCCUPATIONAL SEGREGATION: GENDER INNOVATION LAB EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE FROM The Gender Innovation Lab (GIL) THE REPUBLIC OF CONGO conducts impact evaluations of development interventions in Authors: Marine Gassier, Rachael S. Pierotti, Léa Rouanet and Lacina Traore1 Sub-Saharan Africa, seeking to generate evidence on KEY MESSAGES how to close gender gaps in • Gender-based occupational segregation – the fact that men and earnings, productivity, assets, women are typically concentrated in different occupations and and agency. The GIL team is economic sectors – contributes to gender gaps in earnings. Women currently working on over 70 face several constraints, including unconscious biases, social norms, lack of impact evaluations in more than exposure to and information on sectors, and time and capital constraints that 25 countries with the aim of hold them back from entering male-dominated sectors. building an evidence base with lessons for the region. • In an experiment in the Republic of Congo, we examine whether addressing informational constraints around returns from male- The impact objective of GIL is dominated sectors could encourage young women to apply for increasing take-up of effective training in more profitable male-dominated sectors. We find that young policies by governments, women are 28.6% more likely to apply to a traditionally male-dominated trade development organizations, when receiving information on trade-specific earnings. and the private sector to address the underlying • There is high potential for interventions that pair information on causes of gender inequality returns and trade exposure. In our study, the impact of earnings in Africa, particularly in terms information on women’s trade choices is almost four times larger among of women’s economic and women who had prior technical experience or knowledge and three times social empowerment. The Lab larger among women with a male role model. aims to do this by producing and delivering a new body • However, there are gender gaps in access to early opportunities, of evidence and developing a mainly relevant technical experience and network connections. compelling narrative, geared Women are less likely to have prior relevant technical experience and less towards policymakers, on what likely to have network connections with people who work in male-dominated works and what does not work trades. When women have network connections to people in male-dominated in promoting gender equality. The authors would like to thank Cansu Birce Gokalp and Laurel Elizabeth Morrison for preparing the policy brief. 1  https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/africa-gender-innovation-lab trades, these contacts are less likely to translate HERE’S WHAT WE DID into technical experience, indicating constraints The World Bank’s Africa Gender Innovation Lab launched in interpersonal exchange. two studies within the context of the vocational training program to assess the effect of supply-side constraints • Providing information on earnings is a low- on gender-based occupational segregation. cost intervention that can encourage young women to crossover to more lucrative trades, In the first study, we examined the effect of providing thereby reducing the gender gap in earnings. trade-specific earnings information on trade choice In addition, complementary interventions which among applicants to the vocational training program. Upon arrival, applicants were randomly assigned to provide women with technical experience and either a control group that watched an informational knowledge or match them with role models video describing the training program for each trade, or a might be needed to enhance the impact of such treatment group that watched another version of the video interventions. that also included trade-specific earnings. Immediately after watching the video, applicants selected the trade THE PROGRAM they wanted to pursue, with two ordered choices. In 2018, the government of the Republic of Congo The second study added questions to the above- implemented a vocational training program, for youth mentioned survey to examine supply-side explanations aged 17-30, in the two largest cities of the country, for gender-based occupational segregation. The Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. Interested candidates questions were designed to measure, i) gender attended an information and application session which differences in opportunity structures (access to trade included watching an informational video of the types of information, relevant network connections and role training being offered, including both male- and female- models, and previous exposure to relevant skills), ii) dominated trades. perceived social norms regarding women and work, and anticipated discrimination in male-dominated trades, and iii) internalized gender biases. FIGURE 1: FIRST CHOICE IS A MALE-DOMINATED TRADE Men - Information Women - Information Men - No Information Women - No Information 89.7% Men 89.4% 34.6% Women 26.9% +28.6%*** 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% FIGURE 2: EFFECT OF THE INFORMATION TREATMENT ON APPLICANTS’ CHOICE OF TRADE HERE’S WHAT WE FOUND Men - Information Women - Information Receiving trade-specific earnings information Men - No Information Women - No Information significantly increased the likelihood of women *** p<0.01, ** p<0.05, * p<0.1 for the test of equality of coefficient between the control group not receiving information on earnings (light color bars) choosing a male-dominated trade. Women who and the treatment group receiving the information (full color bars). received the information intervention are 7.7 percentage +** Highest-paying Topography trades points more likely to select a male-dominated trade, +*** a 28.6% increase compared to the control group. Both men and women receiving information on trade- Machine +*** operation +** specific earnings are more likely to opt for the three higher-return male-dominated trades: air conditioning, +*** Air conditioning machine operator, and topography (see Figure 2 below). +*** The probability of choosing one of the high return trades increases by 76.8% for men and 185.8% for women. The Construction: Finishing women most impacted by the intervention were those who had characteristics that correlate with crossing Electricity over to male-dominated trades, such as having a role model, technical knowledge, or technical experience. General Among women who did not crossover to male- mechanic/welding +* dominated trades, the information increased the likelihood of selecting more lucrative female- Pipework dominated trades. Women in the treatment group were more likely to opt-out of lower-return traditional Mechanical manufacture -** trades, such as tailoring and hospitality, and to choose traditionally female-dominated trades with higher returns. Bakery Training attendance and completion rates were +*** equal for men and women, as well as for those Computer -* who received the earnings information and those graphics who did not. -** Auto mechanic More so than men, women’s willingness to select a male-dominated trade depends on their having prior technical experience, yet women are less Carpentry likely to have such experience. A one-point increase in technical score is associated with an 18.9 percentage Livestock rearing point increase for women and a 4-percentage point increase for men in their likelihood of selecting a male- dominated trade. However, women scored lower on Hospitality -** technical experience and knowledge than their male counterparts, suggesting that men have a considerable Tree crop farming -** advantage in exposure to relevant skills. Women are disadvantaged in access to people Hairdressing working in male-dominated trades, and they do not benefit from the connections they have. Tailoring Women are disadvantaged in non-family connections to people working in male-dominated trades, and unlike men, women do not gain technical experience from their Housekeeping Lowest-paying -*** trades network contacts. 0.00 10.00 20.00 30.00 CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that providing trade-specific earnings information could attract women to higher-return trades and encourage more women to enter male-dominated trades. However, the effect of the information intervention encouraging women to crossover to male-dominated trades is concentrated among women who already have meaningful technical knowledge, experience, or role models. Our findings from both studies amplify the importance of providing women with technical knowledge and experience to encourage crossover to male-dominated trades. These findings indicate that an information intervention could be most effective when combined with complementary interventions providing women with technical experience and knowledge or matching them with role models. Our studies focused on the Republic of Congo but as our report, Breaking Barriers: Female Entrepreneurs Who Cross Over to Male-Dominated Sectors, also demonstrates, gender-based occupational segregation is a global issue that prevents economies from making the best use of their workers’ skills. Evidence-based programs and policies could support women to cross over into more profitable male-dominated sectors and increase their profits while also contributing to economic growth. Providing information on sector-specific earnings could be one intervention to consider in a broad range of tools to reduce occupational segregation. However, more research is needed, especially in countries with low levels of formal sector employment, on other effective programs and policies to encourage women’s entry and success in male-dominated trades. For more information on the first study, see the Policy Research Working Paper: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/36974 FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Markus Goldstein mgoldstein@worldbank.org Cansu Birce Gokalp cgokalp@worldbank.org Photo credit: World Bank 1818 H St NW Washington, DC 20433 USA This work has been funded in part by the Umbrella Facility for Gender Equality (UFGE), which is a multi-donor trust fund www.worldbank.org/africa/gil administered by the World Bank to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment through experimentation and knowledge creation to help governments and the private sector focus policy and programs on scalable solutions with sustainable outcomes. The UFGE is supported with generous contributions from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.