Working Paper: NBER ID: w19868
Authors: Ejaz Ghani; William R. Kerr; Stephen D. O'Connell
Abstract: We quantify the link between the timing of state-level implementations of political reservations for women in India with the role of women in India's manufacturing sector. While overall employment of women in manufacturing does not increase after the reforms, we find significant evidence that more women-owned establishments were created in the unorganized/informal sector. These new establishments were concentrated in industries where women entrepreneurs have been traditionally active and the entry was mainly found among household-based establishments. We measure and discuss the extent to which this heightened entrepreneurship is due to channels like greater finance access or heightened inspiration for women entrepreneurs.
Keywords: Political Reservations; Women's Entrepreneurship; India; Manufacturing; Unorganized Sector
JEL Codes: D22; E26; H11; J16; L10; L26; L60; M13; O10; R00; R10; R12
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Political reservations (J15) | Increase in women-owned establishments in the unorganized sector (O17) |
| Political reservations (J15) | Increase in female entrepreneurship (L26) |
| Political reservations (J15) | Concentration of entrepreneurship in household-based enterprises (L26) |
| Political reservations (J15) | No significant increase in women's employment in manufacturing (J21) |
| Increase in women-owned establishments in the unorganized sector (O17) | Shift in nature of women's economic participation (F63) |
| Political reservations (J15) | Increased aspirations for entrepreneurship among women (L26) |