Government patronage in Iran and Turkey. "Public employment: the engine of female empowerment?"
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2016-10-31
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en
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Abstract
The feminization of public employment in the Middle-East has offered substantial opportunities for women in order to become economically empowered. However, only a limited group of women seems to have profited from this access to public employment. Additionally, public employment can make these women economically depended on their governments for their autonomy if the private sector does offer a viable alternative. This research examines these limitations of the public sector of public employment in Iran and Turkey by using household survey data (TDHS, IPUMS, HEIS). Iran and Turkey represents two contrasting systems of female employment in the Middle-East. The former is a patronage system with the majority of women working for the public sector, the later a capitalist with a well-developed private sector. This research shows that public employment is a privilege for highly educated women who are part of the inside network (called Wasta). Furthermore, the harsh working conditions in the private sector make the dual responsibility of work and motherhood of many women incompatible. With regard to her economic autonomy, human capital seems to be an important factor for women to remain independent of government employment for her process of empowerment.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen