International Perspective on Issues in Gender, Science and Economic Development

The gender issues in science and economic development have two major dimensions: economic opportunities for women and abilities of women. The focus of this study is on economic opportunities for women from a gleral perspective. While there is significant increase in the female labor force participation rates in almost all countries, the proportion of women who are professional and technical workers remains much smaller. Using data from fifty countries with high human development index, we find that high index of achievement in education and high per capita incomes are important factors that contribute to the growth of professional and technical women workers. Gender empowerment index alone does not guarantee increased participation of women in science and technology..