Why Third World urban employers usually prefer men.

Males outnumber female employees by 3 to 1 in the modern sector of developing countries; moreover women tend to be concentrated in a limited number of occupations. This underrepresentation of women in employment in Third World countries is generally attributed to the restricted supply of qualified women willing and able to work away from home in modern sector occupations. However this approach pays insufficient attention to the demand for labor and the recruitment policy of employers. Employer concerns and perceptions that limit the overall demand for women workers and thereby reduce their employment opportunities include the need for pregnancy and maternity leave and protection absenteeism turnover and cultural restrictions. Among the factors that contribute to the sexual segmentation of the labor market are protective legislation that excludes women from certain sectors of the labor market sex-typing of jobs and employer perceptions that women lack muscular strength are not effective supervisors and cannot work well with men. At the same time women are preferred for certain jobs because of their greater docility acceptance of lower wages household-type skills and sex appeal. The general factor limiting employment opportunities for women is the employers perception that women are more costly and less productive than male employees. This perception is directly related to womens role in childbearing and rearing and is reinforced by legislation that places the costs of maternity leave nursing breaks and child care directly on the employer. Thus womens childbearing and family responsibilities not only limit their availability for work but also discourage employers from hiring them.