Female Business Ownership and Informal Sector Persistence

Ghani, Ejaz; Kerr, William R.; O'Connell, Stephen D.

Female Business Ownership and Informal Sector Persistence

2013

Ghani, Ejaz | Kerr, William R. | O'Connell, Stephen D.

The informal sector in India has been exceptionally persistent over the past two decades. Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. This paper shows that a substantial share of the persistence in India's unorganized manufacturing sector is due to the rapid increase in female-owned businesses. Had women's participation remained in the proportion to male-owned businesses that was evident in 1994, the unorganized manufacturing sector would have declined in share rather than increased. Most of these new female-owned businesses are opened in the household and at a small scale, about a third of the size of a typical male-owned business in the informal sector. Yet, it appears that these businesses offer economic opportunities not otherwise present and a transition for some women from unpaid domestic work.

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AGROVOC Keywords

accounting businesses cities commerce computer hardware debt developing countries economic activities economic conditions economic development economic growth economic trends electricity employment entrepreneurship equipment gender gender equality globalization households human capital innovation institution laws living conditions manufacturing networks open access population censuses population density population growth productivity radio recreation regional development reproduction results role of women sanitation slums small enterprises television transport transportation unemployment urbanization uses villages vulnerability wages workforce

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Publisher

World Bank, Washington, DC

Other Subjects

Business environment; National level; Social exclusion; Household level; Policy research; Adb; Equipments; Time period; Progress; Infrastructure investment; Hotels; Stresses; Gender issues; Districts; Web; Connectivity; Political turmoil; Banking sector; Economic activity; Gender differences; Policy implications; Gender discrimination; Literacy rates; Population census; Business leaders; Development policy; Business registration; New entrants; Competitiveness; Customer demand; Female labor force; Literacy rate; Innovation policy; Business services; Policy discussions; Renting; Result; Population growth rates; Aid; Respect; Job creation; Rate of migration; Description; Policy makers; Policy research working paper; Enterprise sector; Industrial structures; Purchasing power; Female; Purchasing power parity; Social science; National levels; License; Labor markets; International comparisons; Local economy; Economic opportunities; Minority

License

Policy Research Working Paper;No. 6612http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/World BankCC BY 3.0 IGO

Source

Policy Research Working Paper;No. 6612

In AGRIS since: 2014-09-15

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http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16836

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Female Business Ownership and Informal Sector Persistence

2013

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