Female Participation in the Labour Force of Selected Latin American Countries

Data from 17 Latin American countries concerning female participation in the labour force and selected social , economic and demographic characteristics were examined using the path analysis models. Of the 3 most important independent variables (i. e. those representing female education, fertility and urbanization) the most significant predictor was the proportion of 15 -19-year olds receiving secondary education: this accounted for more than two-thuds of the variation in levels of female participation in the labour force.