Impact of the level of women participation in the workforce on economic growth in Kuwait

• Main Author: Alhamli, Sahar
• Published: King's College London (University of London) 2013
• Subjects: 338.95367
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.628360

This study was conducted to explore the impact of the level of women in the workforce on economic growth in Kuwait. The impact on the overall economy of the state of Kuwait was tested using the rate of growth in Kuwait gross domestic product (GDP). To achieve this, a questionnaire was developed in accordance with the relevant literature review conducted by the researcher. To identify the reliable instruments, a pilot study was conducted to determine whether there was a consensus among respondents, and whether the variables identified are associated with economic growth. Following the identification of the reliable instruments, the questionnaire was arranged according to a five-point Likert scale. Thereafter, the researcher distributed 360 questionnaires among the chosen sample (academics, policy makers, and business people) each of which received 120 questionnaires by post. 265 of the distributed questionnaires were returned, 240 of which were material and valid for the SPSS analysis. This study complements the existing literature on the level of women in the workforce in Kuwait. It aims at providing an econometric model for the State of Kuwait. The obtained results revealed that the tested independent variables (Education Level, Income Inequality, Foreign Direct Investment, Rate of Population Growth, Exports, Human Capital, Political Empowerment, and Technology) significantly affect the women level in the Kuwaiti workforce, which in turn affects the dependent variable (Kuwaiti economic Growth).