Women in Bhutan’s Labour Market: A Decade of Change and Factors Driving It
Tenzin Choden
*
Public Policy and Human Development, Maastricht University, Netherlands.
Pemma Lhaden Lhendup
Department of Psychology, Webster University, Thailand.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Females constitute a critical segment of Bhutan’s working-age population, and their participation is essential for inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Studies show that economic growth may be accelerated by bringing women into the labour force. Thus, policies stimulating women's employment must be implemented. This study explores women’s participation in Bhutan’s labour market over the past decade, spanning from 2014 to 2024, a period marked by significant social and economic transformation. The research analyses trends in female labour force participation, employment types, and sectoral distribution to understand how women’s roles in the economy have evolved. It further examines variations in labour market participation across different age cohorts—youth, prime-age, and older women. The trends highlight both the resilience and vulnerability of Bhutanese women in the changing labour landscape. While progress in education and policy support has opened new opportunities, structural barriers, such as occupational segregation, unequal access to higher-paying jobs, and social expectations around caregiving continue to influence the pace and quality of women’s economic participation. The study also investigates the relationship between educational attainment and women’s employment outcomes, highlighting how education influences access to formal employment and higher-paying occupations. The findings aim to provide evidence-based insights to inform interventions for promoting gender-responsive economic growth and labour market strategies.
Keywords: Female labour force participation, women’s employment, gender and labour market, women in workforce