I am a graduating senior pursuing a Bachelor of Science
degree in Economics. As an Indian immigrant myself, I have experienced life in
a developing country and this experience has fueled my interest in economic
development during my undergraduate studies and current research. In
particular, I have focused on issues of gender in economic development policies.
Economists find that countries that under-invest in their female population
experience slower growth, indicating that investing in women is a win-win
economic development strategy and one worth researching.
My research project investigates the relationship between
educational attainment rates and female labor force participation in the Indian
state of Kerala to see if educating females actually leads to work
opportunities and greater economic freedom. To address this question, I have
been working on an extensive literature review as well as a descriptive
analysis of India Census data from 1990-2010 to conclude with a set of proposed
hypotheses for future research. On a weekly basis, I research labor market
factors in Kerala, India that affect the employment of women. I am currently
looking into countries that exhibit better patterns of female education and
labor force participation to use as comparison case studies and recently used
the World Values Survey to evaluate this. This week, I found the
Inglehart-Welzel Cultural Map useful to narrow down my research options as it
uses two major dimensions of cross cultural variation to group the world.
This research project complements my long-term goals as I
plan on pursuing a career in the international development community. It has
exposed me to the greater conversation happening in this community as well as
the different tools and metrics currently used to evaluate impact. In order to
work on the policy side of this issue, it is critical to possess thorough
knowledge of these factors and consequences that affect economic development.
As I will most likely pursue a Master’s degree in a relevant field, this
research project readies me for that next step as well. This research project
has been a valuable experience that has shaped my career interests and personal
goals.
