Gender diversity and productivity in manufacturing firms: evidence from six Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries

Abstract We revisit predictions about the relationship between gender diversity and firm productivity using data on 1,082 manufacturing firms from six Sub-Saharan African countries: Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia Kenya. Recent evidence suggests that a gender-diverse workforce opens up to vast range talent, knowledge perspectives critical enhancing innovation problem solving, thereby, increasing productivity. Given importance for employment structural transformation in Africa, we test diversity–productivity proposition by exploring differences (heterogeneity) across Industry without Smokestacks (IWOSS) classification. find while promotes at lower levels, this effect is displaced with further increases. Our results did not show IWOSS do any better promoting link. Implications finding areas future studies are also discussed.