世界银行-女工代表性效应：科威特公务员队伍中的性别薪酬差异（英）-2023.6-34页_687kb

Policy Research Working Paper 10509

Title: Female-Worker Representation Effect: Gender Pay Variation in the Kuwaiti Civil Service

Authors: Mohamed Ihsan Ajwad, Simon Bilo, Ha Nguyen, Ebtesam AlAnsari, Lama AlHumaidan, Faleh AlRashidi

Date: June 2023

Summary

This study analyzes gender wage gaps and the mechanisms behind them in Kuwait's civil service. The average female civil servant earns about 18% less than their male counterparts. Human capital factors like education and work experience do not explain a significant portion of this gap, instead occupational and workplace segregation plays a major role. The research introduces the "Female-Worker Representation Effect," which finds that a higher proportion of women in an occupation or workplace is associated with significantly lower wages for men and slightly higher wages for women compared to workplaces with fewer women. The paper attributes these representation effects to various mechanisms, including differential hiring practices, informal gender networks, and preferences for work environments among men and women. However, other possible explanations related to omitted variables cannot be discarded. The study also highlights the importance of occupational and workplace segregation in explaining wage differences within the unique context of Kuwait's civil service.