Abstract

This study examines the position of gendered labour participation in influencing gendered productivity within the hotel and tourism sectors of the Tanzanian economy. The study aims to identify and analyse the extent to which gendered labour participation influences productivity of some selected firms in Tanzania.  Drawing on a survey of hotels and tour operators in Arusha and Moshi, this study took a holistic approach to analyzing gendered labour-force participation and existing productivity and understanding factors constraining the development of these sectors. A survey research design was used to get both primary and secondary data. A mixed research methodology was used. The study sample was determined using Fisher’s et al formula for small populations of below 10,000 characters yielding to a sample size of 106 respondents. The Linear probability regression Model was used to measure the likelihood of gendered labour-force participation in influencing firm productivity. Linear probability regression results showed that education, age, wages, employment status, and segregation of the labour market are the most potent predictors of productivity. Results did not find support for the commonly held belief that marital status, experience, tenure, region and sector influence productivity. From a public policy perspective, the results suggest that policies focusing solely on addressing structural features of the labour market may prove unsuccessful in bridging the gendered labour participation if they are not accompanied by policies on increasing the productivity-related endowments of women.

Key words: Gendered, labour-force, productivity, labour-market, discrimination, Tanzania.