Costs of Doing a Job For Urban Women In Sri Lanka

Abstract

This report addressed a knowledge gap by conducting quantitative surveys and FGDs to estimate monetary & non-monetary “costs of doing a job” for women in Sri Lanka, to understand if it is cost prohibitive to engage in work outside the home. The research aim was to formulate evidence-based public & private sector solutions to change the choice architecture for women to enter the workforce or remain at home. The study found that the cost of doing a job is 1.6 times the compensation they receive. This suggests that cost, particularly implicit non-monetary costs, are an important factor in women’s labour market decisions. Additionally, this study finds that the affordability and reliability of childcare as well as patriarchal cultural norms and expectations play a pivotal role in shaping the “cost” women bear to engage in paid work.