From Household Duties to Innovation: The Role of Gender Norms in Women’s Economic Participa tion

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31489/2025ec2/41-53

Keywords:

Innovation, Patrilocality hypothesis, Household structure, Women’s labour, Gender roles, Cultural norms, Econometric analysis

Abstract

This study examines how cultural norms and household structure affect women’s participation in the labour force and their capacity to contribute to innovative activity, emphasizing patrilocality theory in Kyrgyzstan. According to the the ory, women who reside with their husband’s family are expected to spend more time on household duties and may be less likely to participate in income-generating and innovative activities outside the home. Econometric analysis uses data from the 2019 Life in Kyrgyzstan (LiK) panel survey. The Tobit model analyses the relationship between women’s living arrangements, labour force participation and earnings. The analysis reveals that, other things being equal, women earn lower wages if they have many household responsibilities; however, this does not mean that women in patrilocal living arrangements have low earnings. It also shows that education, location, and other socio-economic factors are most important in determining the rate of women’s economic participation and the innovation potential. Moreover, household decision-making power and cultural expectations are most likely to affect women’s opportunities for labour market participation. The study finds that resolving gender inequalities in domestic responsibilities and power to make decisions is crucial to unlock the potential of women in innovation for the economy. The study contributes to the exist ing literature as the first empirical analysis of these dynamics in CIS countries and as policy recommendations to pro mote gender equity and economic growth.

Author Biographies

Irina Kovaleva, KIMEP University

Irina Kovaleva is a Doctoral Student at the Department of Economics, KIMEP University. She has over 5 years of academic and teaching experience. Her research focuses on labor relations, employment, and gender inequality. Since 2024, she has been involved in the research project funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the grant IRN AP23487405, titled "The Change and Determinants of Subjective Well-being in Kazakhstan: Impact Evaluation of Targeted Social Assistance Programs on Income, Subjective Well-being, and Poverty Reduction." She is a winner of the mentorship program in economic research organized by the Greater Eurasia Research Center and the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC). Within this program, she authored a publication on "An Empirical Study of the Gender Wage Gap in Kyrgyzstan: Factors, Differences, and Policy Implications." Irina presented her research at the KIMEP International Research Conference (KIRC), delivering a talk on "The Gender Wage Gap and Income Inequality in Kyrgyzstan."

Dr. Leon Taylor, Tulane University

Dr. Leon Earle Taylor is an accomplished economist with a rich academic and professional background, primarily focusing on environmental and development economics. He completed his BA in economics and history at Indiana University, Bloomington, and earned his PhD from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Dr. Taylor has held academic positions at institutions including Tulane University and the University of Guam. His research spans theoretical and statistical economics with a regional emphasis on the Soviet and Post-Soviet territories, particularly Central Asia. Notable published works by Dr. Taylor explore economic sanctions, forecasting methods, and the impact of "dirty" industries on economies.

Beyond academia, Dr. Taylor has contributed to journalism and editorial projects, underscoring his multidisciplinary expertise. His tenure at the Kazakhstan Institute of Management, Economics, and Strategic Research (KIMEP) as an Associate Professor and adviser to the president marked significant contributions to both the university and the broader economic community. Dr. Taylor continues to influence the fields of economics through both scholarly and practical applications.

Dr. Gerald Pech, KIMEP University

Dr. Gerald Pech is an Associate Professor and has served as the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences for ten years. He earned his PhD in Economics from Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. Dr. Pech has held teaching and research positions at the Bochum and Dortmund Graduate School, the University of St. Andrews, the National University of Ireland, Galway, the American University in Bulgaria, and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. His research interests include budget policy, public debt, constitutional economics, tax evasion economics, coalition formation, and applied game theory. Dr. Pech has published extensively, including works on intra-party decision making and the economics of coalition governments. He is a member of the editorial board of Theoretical Economics Letters.

Dr. Eldar Madumarov, KIMEP University

Dr. Eldar Madumarov is an Assistant Professor with a PhD from Carl von Ossietzky University in Oldenburg, Germany. His research areas include economic growth and development, institutional economics, international trade and investment, and transitional economies. Alongside his academic career, he has contributed to international development projects such as the GTZ's Private Sector Development and Sustainable Economic Development initiatives. Dr. Madumarov earned his Master’s degree in International Economics from the Kyrgyz-Russian University in July 2003 and a Bachelor's in Economics in July 2002 from the same institution. He has taught courses in Applied Microeconomics, Econometric Methods, and International Trade at KIMEP. His significant works include publications on external factors of economic growth in transitional economies and trade performance.

References

Anderson, S. (2007). The economics of dowry and brideprice. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 21(4), 151–174. Retrieved from The Economics of Dowry and Brideprice — American Economic Association

Arabsheibani. G.R., Kudebayeva A., & Mussurov, A. (2021). A note on bride kidnapping and labour supply behaviour of Kyrgyz women. Economic Systems, 45(4), 100885. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecosys.2021.100885

Becker, C.M., Mirkasimov, B., & Steiner, S. (2017). Forced marriage and birth outcomes. Demography, 54(4), 1401–1423. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-017-0591-1

Chen, Y., & Mace, R. (2023). Women work harder than men — our anthropological study reveals why. The Conversation. Retrieved from Women work harder than men — our anthropological study reveals why (theconversation.com)

Chen, Y., Ge, E., Zhou, L., Du, J., & Mace, R. (2023). Sex inequality is driven by dispersal. Current Biology 33(3), 464–473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.12.027

Corno, L., Hildebrandt, N., & Voena, A. (2020). Age of marriage, weather shocks, and the direction of marriage payments. Econometrica, 88(3), 879–915. https://doi.org/10.3982/ECTA15505

Duxbury, L.E., & Higgins, C.A. (1991). Gender differences in work-family conflict. Journal of applied psychology, 76(1), 60. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0021-9010.76.1.60

Eissa, N., & Hoynes, H.W. (2004). Taxes and the labour market participation of married couples: the earned income tax credit. Journal of Public Economics, 88(9-10), 1931–1958. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2003.09.005

Farré, L., Jofre-Monseny, J., & Torrecillas, J. (2020). Commuting time and the gender gap in labor market participation. IZA Discussion Papers, 13213. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3685824

Field, E., & Ambrus, A. (2008). Early marriage, age of menarche, and female schooling attainment in Bangladesh. Journal of Political Economy, 116(5), 881–930. Retrieved from Early Marriage, Age of Menarche, and Female Schooling Attainment in Bangladesh | Journal of Political Economy: Vol 116, No 5

Flèche, S., Lepinteur, A., & Powdthavee, N. (2020). Gender norms, fairness and relative working hours within households. Labour Economics, 65, 101866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.labeco.2020.101866

Foster, G., & Stratton, L.S. (2018). Do significant labour market events change who does the chores? Paid work, housework, and power in mixed-gender Australian households. Journal of Population Economics, 31, 483–519. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00148-017-0667-7

Haq, M., Ali, A., Ahmad, I., & Sajjad, W. (2023). Religiosity, gender attitudes, and women’s labour market participation. Nurture, 17(1), 29–39. https://doi.org/10.55951/nurture.v17i1.147

Heath, R., & Tan, X. (2020). Intrahousehold bargaining, female autonomy, and labour supply: Theory and evidence from India. Journal of the European Economic Association, 18(4), 1928–1968. https://doi.org/10.1093/jeea/jvz026

Karymshakov, K., & Sulaimanova, B. (2017). Migration impacts left-behind women’s labour participation and time-use: Evidence from Kyrgyzstan (No. 2017/119). WIDER working paper. https://doi.org/10.35188/UNU-WIDER/2017/343-1

Kimmel, J. (1998). Child care costs are a barrier to employment for single and married mothers. Review of Economics and Statistics, 80(2), 287–299. https://doi.org/10.1162/003465398557384

Kolpashnikova, K. (2016). Housework in Canada: Uneven convergence of the gender gap in domestic tasks, 1986–2010. Doctor’s thesis. Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia. https://doi. org/10.14288/1.0340502

Kolpashnikova, K. (2018). American househusbands: New time use evidence of gender display, 2003–2016. Social Indicators Research, 140(3), 1259–1277. https://doi. org/10.1007/s11205-017-1813-z

Kolpashnikova, K., & Kan, M.-Y. (2020). Gender gap in housework: Couples’ data analysis in Kyrgyzstan. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 51(2): 154-187. Retrieved from https://utppublishing.com/doi/full/10.3138/jcfs.51.2.04

Kovaleva, I., & Taylor, L. (2023a). Why Do Women Work Harder Than Men? Testing the Patrilocality Hypothesis. Qual Prim Care, 31, 31. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Irina-Kovaleva-3/publication/378005014

Kovaleva, I., & Taylor, L. (2023b). A model of why women work harder than men. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3191790/v1

Kovaleva, I., Taylor, L., Pech, G., & Madumarov, E. (2025). What household structure encourages innovation? Comparative analysis of a case study of female labor in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. BUKETOV BUSINESS REVIEW, 11730(1), 30–42.

Landmann, A., Seitz, H., & Steiner, S. (2018). Patrilocal residence and female labor supply: evidence from Kyrgyzstan. Demography, 55(6), 2181–2203. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-018-0724-1

Micheletti, A.J.C., Ruxton, G.D., & Gardner, A. (2020). The demography of human warfare can drive sex differences in altruism. Evolutionary Human Sciences, 2, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1017/ehs.2020.5

Moreno-Colom, S. (2017). The gendered division of housework time: Analysis of time use by type and daily frequency of household tasks. Time and Society, 26(1), 3–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/0961463X15577269

Downloads

Published

2025-06-30

Issue

2025, 30, 2 (118): Buketov Business Review 2 (118) 2025

Section

innovations in management, marketing, finance, accounting, economics and public administration.

License

Copyright (c) 2025 BUKETOV BUSINESS REVIEW

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.