Welcome to my blog! I’m a rising fourth-year PhD Student in Political Economy and Government, working on topics related to tax administration, migration, and gender in the labor market. This summer, with the generous support of the Women in Public Policy Program, I will be spending time in Tamil Nadu, India conducting exploratory research to understand how information frictions and bargaining power constraints might be preventing female garment workers from demanding improved working conditions or switching to better jobs.
Female labor force participation in India has fallen persistently since 2005. As agricultural employment has declined, a shortage of jobs in rural areas combined with norms discouraging women from economic migration have pushed millions out of the workforce. Although the rise of low-skill manufacturing jobs has economically benefited some women and holds promise for improving the livelihoods of millions more poor women and their families, these jobs often entail harsh work environments (Heath and Mobarak, 2015; Blattman and Dercon, 2018). Information frictions, lack of agency, and low bargaining power inhibit female migrants from demanding better working conditions (Heath et al. 2022).
My fieldwork will inform the design for a study seeking to answer:
1. Do information frictions and employer monopsony power inhibit female migrant garment workers from demanding better working conditions or leaving jobs that harm their health/safety?
2. What additional support can empower women to act on this information?
I look forward to sharing regular updates on this blog throughout the summer!
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