GENDER DISPARITIES IN REMUNERATED ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN CEMAC COUNTRIES: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE CASES OF CAMEROON, CONGO AND GABON

Abstract

We estimate and explain the differences in the probability of access to a paid economic activity between men and women in Cameroon, Congo and Gabon. On EESI_2010 database in Cameroon, EDS_2012 in Congo and EDS_2012 in Gabon, We use the Blinder - Oaxaca (1973) decomposition method. With the global decomposition we find a 20 points probability difference in favor of men in Cameroon, due at 56.15% to discrimination, 16 points in Gabon due at 83.73% to discrimination and of 5 points in Congo due at 72.40% to discrimination. With detailed decomposition we find that in these countries this discrimination against women is explained by variables such as age, education, religion, marital status and the number of children aged 5 to 14 living in the household.