The Paradox of women's high-level education and low share in managerial positions in Iran: Economic Gender Inequality

Dadgar, Yadollah; Nazari, Rohollah; Fahimifar, Fatemeh

doi:10.48308/jep.2024.236761.1188

The Paradox of women's high-level education and low share in managerial positions in Iran: Economic Gender Inequality

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Emeritus Professor of Economics, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran. Iran

² Ph.D. of Economics, Ferdowsi University, Mashhad, Iran

³ Ph.D. of Economics, Allamah Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran.

10.48308/jep.2024.236761.1188

Abstract

On the one hand, women across the globe play a vital role in society and the economy, contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals. On the other hand, in many countries, higher levels of education among women have been linked to increased participation in the labor force and managerial positions. However, in Iran, a gender gap persists in women’s access to career advancement and managerial roles, despite their growing access to higher education. This creates a paradox: while women’s educational attainment has risen, their representation remains relatively low. This contradiction underscores the relevance of the key terms in this article’s title—gender inequality and paradox. Using the logit method, micro labor force data from Iran, this article examines the gender gap and factors influencing women’s employment in managerial positions. By using household budget data, the model analysis indicates that in Iran, only 16.6% of managers are women (83.4% men), placing the country among the bottom four in terms of the gender gap index. The findings reveal that higher education levels, the number of literates, and the number of employed members in a household positively influence women's willingness to pursue managerial positions. Conversely, factors such as being the head of the household, being married, household size, miscellaneous income sources, and gender discrimination negatively impact women's willingness to accept managerial roles in Iran. A key policy implication of this study is the importance of selecting managers—regardless of gender—based on qualifications, which contribute to reducing gender inequality in managerial positions.

Keywords

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