Booze and women: Gendering labor market outcomes of secular consumption patterns in a Muslim society

Using information in the household consumption data as a signal of secularity, this study explores the effect of religion on female labor force participation (FLFP) in a Muslim-dominated country, Turkey. A household is categorized as secular if its members report that they consume goods that contradict the conservative interpretations of Islam. This information is then used in FLFP estimations. The analysis is carried out for married and single women, separately. The results show that living in a secular household has a positive and highly significant effect on the probability of labor market participation of married women in urban areas. Secularity is also associated with a reduced probability of unpaid work, which is the most widespread form of female employment in rural areas in Turkey. For single women, most of whom are in the school age, the estimations provide some weaker evidence regarding the positive effect of secularity on the probability of educational participation and paid work