Reproductive decisions as mediators between education and employment of women in Kyrgyzstan

Abstract

Researchers created a large body of evidence showing that education and fertility are strong determinants of women’s employment. In postsocialist economies, women’s reproductive decisions have become more critical to employment opportunities. Yet the issue is not well-understood. The researchers focus on the mediating roles of reproductive decisions on the relationship between education and employment among Kyrgyzstani women. The study data come from the 2012 Demographic and Health Survey (N = 2419). Consistent with other research, more education was associated with fewer number of children and being employed. An unexpected finding was that having more children was associated with increased employment.