Exploring Factors and Disparities: Female Labor Force Participation in the Palestinian Regions: East Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza Strip

This paper investigates Female Labor Force Participation (FLFP) across the Palestinian regions of East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. Utilizing data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics spanning from 1999 to 2018, we employ logistic regression models and age-period-cohort analyses to examine the determinants and trends shaping FLFP. Despite a notable increase in FLFP rates in Gaza since 2008, East Jerusalem witnesses a declining trend, widening the gap between East Jerusalem and the West Bank/Gaza strip. Our investigation aims to elucidate these regional differences, considering both supply-side and demand-side factors. Supply-side factors encompass social and gender norms, as well as social structure, while demand-side factors include structural changes in the economy over time, the availability of public sector employment, predominant economic activities engaging women (services and agriculture), and the repercussions of economic shocks on FLFP (added worker effect), among other factors.