Gender and Labour Markets: A Case Study of Female Entrepreneurs in Lesotho

This study examines the determinants of ease to export for Lesotho firms with a specific interest on the gender of the head of the firm. The data used are drawn from the 2023 firm survey collected by the National University of Lesotho – World Trade Organisation Research Chair. Exploiting the ordered probit model for the analysis and a tobit model for robustness checks, the findings show that female-headed firms have a higher probability of finding exporting more difficult than their male counterparts, though not statistically significant. Therefore, the empirical analysis fails to detect strong or persuasive statistical evidence of gender disparity with respect to ease to export of the firm. This observation could be partly attributed to the global and local push for female education and empowerment, aimed at bridging gender disparities and fostering gender equality across various spheres, thereby gradually mitigating gender differences, hence the need to sustain such programs.