Female Labour Participation in Sub-Saharan African: The Role of Institutional Quality

Abstract The study examines the impact of institutional quality on female labour force participation across 48 Sub-Saharan African nations from 1996 to 2021. We specify and estimate the linear regression, pooled panel estimate, and system-generalized method of moments (SYS-GMM) estimation. Findings from the study showed that while economic growth significantly increases female labour force participation in Africa, population growth, fertility rate, and self-employment significantly degrade it. On the other hand, voice, accountability, and regulatory quality considerably boost female labour force participation in Africa, whereas effective governance and political stability indices significantly hinder it. Additionally, sectorial studies revealed that while economic growth and fertility rates boost female employment in the sector within the SSA region, population and self-employment considerably inhibit it. Based on these findings, potential policy directions are suggested.