Urban Women in the Labor Force

Data from sample censuses and interviews in eight West African towns are used to examine the importance of various factors in women's participation in the urban labor force. Participation is shown to vary considerably with local values and opportunities. Of the personal variables, marital status and education (especially secondary edu cation) are the most important, followed by age; husband's socioeconomic position appears to be relatively unimportant. Differences in income between men and women at the same occupational level and the implications of the expansion of female educa tion for increasing competition for wage employment are discussed.