Mani, AnandiGhani, EjazO'Connell, Stephen D.2014-02-042014-02-042013-10https://hdl.handle.net/10986/16890This study examines whether political empowerment of women affects their economic participation. In the context of mandated political representation reform for women in India, the study finds that the length of exposure to women politicians affects overall female labor force participation. These effects seem to arise through direct and indirect channels: political representation of women directly affects hours of work assigned to women under the recent national public works program, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. In addition, the level of access to public goods, as influenced by exposure to women leaders over time, increases the likelihood of women being engaged in the labor force. The findings suggest that women's participation in politics could be a useful policy tool to increase both the supply of and the demand for labor market opportunities for women, potentially helping to stem India's declining female labor force participation rate.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOBARGAINING POWERCASUAL WORKERCASUAL WORKERSCATALYSTSCHILD CARECITIZENCOMPENSATIONCORRUPTIONCRIMECRIMESCULTURAL CHANGEDEVELOPING COUNTRIESDEVELOPMENT POLICYEARNINGECONOMIC EMPOWERMENTECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIESECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMENECONOMIC OPPORTUNITYECONOMIC STATUSEDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTEMPLOYEEEMPLOYMENT GUARANTEEEMPLOYMENT GUARANTEE SCHEMEEMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIESEMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMENEMPLOYMENT PATTERNSEMPLOYMENT PROGRAMSEMPLOYMENT TRENDSEMPOWERMENT OF WOMENEXPOSURE TO WOMENFEMALEFEMALE EMPLOYMENTFEMALE LABORFEMALE LABOR FORCEFEMALE LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATIONFEMALE LEADERSGENDERGENDER DIFFERENCESGENDER EQUALITYGENDER GAPGENDER INEQUALITYGENDER ROLESGIRLSGPSHEALTH CENTERSHOMEHOMESHOUSEHOLD DUTIESHOUSEHOLD ENTERPRISEHOUSEHOLD LEVELHOUSEHOLD SURVEYHUMAN DEVELOPMENTINFORMAL SECTORJOB OPPORTUNITIESJOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMENJOBSLABOR MARKETLABOR MARKET OUTCOMESLABOR MARKETSLABOR SUPPLYLABOURLABOUR FORCELABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATIONLAWSLEGISLATORSLEVELS OF EDUCATIONLOCAL GOVERNMENTSLOCAL INFRASTRUCTUREMEDICAL FACILITIESMINORITYNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTNATIONAL LEGISLATIONNATIONAL LEGISLATURESNATIONAL LEVELNATIONAL POPULATIONOPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMENOPPRESSIONPARTICIPATION OF WOMENPERSONAL SAFETYPOLICY DISCUSSIONSPOLICY MAKERSPOLICY RESEARCHPOLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPERPOLITICAL PARTICIPATIONPOLITICAL PARTICIPATION OF WOMENPOLITICAL POWERPOLITICAL REPRESENTATION OF WOMENPOPULATION CENSUSPOPULATION ESTIMATESPRESENT STUDYPROGRESSPUBLIC EMPLOYMENTPUBLIC EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMPUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYMENTPUBLIC WORKSPUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMPUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMSRESPECTROLE MODELSRURAL AREASRURAL DEVELOPMENTRURAL EMPLOYMENTRURAL LABORRURAL LABOR MARKETSSAFE DRINKING WATERSEASONAL LABORSERVANTSSEXSHARE OF WORKSOCIAL BARRIERSSOCIAL SCIENCESSOCIAL WELFARESTATUS OF WOMENUNDPUNEMPLOYEDUNEMPLOYMENTURBAN AREASURBANIZATIONWAGE INCREASEWAGE RATESWILLWOMANWOMEN CANDIDATESWOMEN LEADERSWOMEN WORKERSWORKERWORKING-AGE POPULATIONWorld Bank10.1596/1813-9450-6675