The Influence of Religion and Human Development on the Participation of Women in the Labor Force: A Case of the African Continent

The African continent has low female participation compared to other regions of the world. This study aims to find the influence of religion and human development on the participation of women in the labor force in Africa. The data used in this study are sourced from the World Development Indicator and the Organization for Islamic Countries for all 54 African countries from 1995 to 2019 (25 years). This study used the quantitative method. Stata application software is used in data analysis. Pooled Ordinary Least Square (O.L.S.) regression technique and Random effects were used to come about results. This study revealed that the components of the Human Development Index (HDI) influence women’s participation in the labor force, and education especially. Our results show a positive relationship between the components of HDI and female participation and a negative relationship between religion and female labor participation, but a positive relationship is observed when religion interacts with education (proxied with years of schooling). Since education is a massive contributor to the willingness of women to participate in the labor force, we can recommend that the Governments of Africa pursue policies and strategies where women have greater access to and are grossly included in education programs.