Gender Differences in Labour Market Participation: Evidence From Displaced People's Camps in Northern Uganda

Abstract

This paper uses a unique data set and the exogenous nature of the conflict and resulting displacement in Northern Uganda to examine their impacts on labour market participation. I find that the longer the existence of the Internally Displaced People's camp to which individuals moved, the less men work. In contrast, women's labour market decisions are not influenced by the age of the camp in which they live. I argue that these responses stem from the development of gender-specific social norms. A decline in the percentage of men working in a camp significantly reduces the probability that a given man works.