Fertility and female work force participation in Bangladesh: Causality and cointegration

This paper examines the causal links between fertility and female labor force participation in Bangladesh over the period 1974-2000 by specifying a bivariate and several trivariate models in a vector error correction framework. The three trivariate models alternatively include average age at first marriage for females, per capita GDP and infant mortality rate, which control for the effects of other socio-economic factors on fertility and female labor force participation. All the specified models indicate an inverse long-run relationship between fertility and female labor force participation. While the bivariate model also indicates bidirectional causality, the multivariate models confirm only a unidirectional causality – from labor force participation to fertility. Further, per capita GDP and infant mortality rate appear to Granger-cause both fertility and female labor force participation.

Major demographic changes in Bangladesh and their socio-economic correlates: Analysis of trends

Catalogues the demographic changes in Bangladesh during the period 1975-2000 and examines how they relate to key socio-economic attributes. Trends are examined in population growth, growth of the working age population, women’s workforce participation, age-dependency ratio, female-male ratio, longevity, fertility, mortality and mean age at first marriage. Bangladesh has made significant breakthroughs in all these areas, a feat not matched by most other South Asian countries, but comparable with the South-East Asia region as whole. The study isolates factors contributing to the changes in each attribute. It assesses the correlation between Bangladesh’s demographic changes and selected socio-economic indicators namely, its per capita GDP, female labour force participation, per capita public health expenditure and educational achievements by both men and women. All five socio-economic variables display statistically significant correlation, in varying degrees, with measures of the demographic changes. Per capita GDP is probably the most significant determinant of demographic changes in Bangladesh. The study observes that men’s education reinforces women’s education and with increased workforce participation contributed to reduced fertility. The study suggests that the role of family planning programs in curbing population growth in Bangladesh maybe overestimated.

Economic incentives for global conservation of wildlife: New international policy directions

Growing economic globalisation by extending the operation of markets is a two-edged sword as far as nature conservation is concerned. In some circumstances, it threatens the conservation of nature and in other cases, it provides economic incentives that foster the conservation of biodiversity. This article shows how global policy directions have altered in that regard. Initially the World Conservation Union (IUCN) favoured bans on trade in endangered species. This view was enshrined in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Subsequently, with the upsurge of support for market-based economic liberalism, IUCN recognised that economic and market incentives, if linked to appropriate property rights, could foster biodiversity conservation. This is reflected in the International Convention on Biological Diversity. While there is conflict between this convention and CITES, its extent has been exaggerated. As explained, in certain cases, trade restrictions of the type adopted in CITES are appropriate for nature conservation whereas the market-oriented policy of the Convention on Biological Diversity can be effective in some different situations. Whether or not the extension of markets in wildlife and wildlife products and growing economic globalisation favours nature conservation varies according to the circumstances.