The effect of active females in the labor market on biodiversity loss

Abstract

Given that the existing literature has rarely considered gender inequality when assessing the social forces affecting biodiversity loss, this paper examines whether biodiversity loss can be reduced by improving women's employment opportunities in the labor market. We used a comprehensive cross-national dataset of 84 countries to examine the pathways by which female labor force participation rates (Flfpr) reduce biodiversity loss. It was found that there is an inverted U-shaped curve relationship between Flfpr and biodiversity loss, and the conclusion still holds after a series of robustness tests and validation by machine learning methods. The mechanism of Flfpr on biodiversity loss varies by economic level and geographic location and Flfpr is underutilized as an important tool to address biodiversity loss in developing countries. The transmission channels through which Flfpr reduces biodiversity loss are not the same, and the high-tech industry sector exhibits significant heterogeneity. The effect of reducing biodiversity loss is more pronounced in regions with high levels of female political participation. This paper shows that improving gender inequality and increasing Flfpr around the world may have synergistic effects on curbing biodiversity loss. Our study provides new insights into the relationship between active females in the labor market and biodiversity loss from both macro-regional and micro-industry perspectives, enriching the case for gender-responsive biodiversity practices under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.