The Impact of COVID-19 on poor Households in Egypt: Preliminary Results from the Pilot

Abstract

Despite rising educational attainment, female labor force participation (FLFP) has declined in Egypt; in 2018, only 17% of women were employed (Krafft, Assaad, and Keo 2019). There are three main explanations as to why FLFP globally and in Egypt remains low: women’s high opportunity cost of time (determined by childcare responsibilities), weak labor demand and restrictive gender norms. The Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) in collaboration with IZA will evaluate the impact of access to nurseries on FLFP using a randomized control trial. The evaluation was designed to investigate whether the cost of childcare discourages female employment and how this interacts with two other potential barriers to female employment: limited access to jobs and restrictive gender norms. Women with young children are doubly challenged by the pandemic. Disproportionately responsible for caregiving, yet faced with the loss of child care options in light of the pandemic and lockdowns, they will face particular difficulties in retaining or gaining work and may face increased stress and pressures within the household. Our plan is to ask a number of questions on the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to assess the gendered impact of the pandemic on households as well as policy responses. This research is part of the Gender, Growth and Labour Markets in Low-Income Countries programme