Educated females in the Indonesian labour force, 1971 : a socio-cultural approach

Abstract

The impact of formal education on female participation in the labour force is an unresolved issue. This thesis examines the impact of women's education on their participation in the labour force in the context of the Indonesian environment. The findings show that education seems to be positively related to female participation in the labour force. This is what the experience of developed countries would lead one to expect. However, a closer examination shows that in Indonesia socio-cultural factors have a much stronger influence than education. Therefore it is suggested that the linkage between education and labour force participation must be used with caution in analysing Indonesian data, otherwise it may yield results which do not reflect the reality. For example, those who are in marginal jobs do not appear in the labour force and their activities reflect their domestic abilities rather than their formal education.