Women, Workforces, and Windows of Opportunity: How DMT Models Provide Insight on Female Labor Participation and Human Rights Protections

Abstract

This paper examines the legal implications of rapid female economic growth, as seen in the Demographic Transition Model (DTM), on domestic labor protections within the context of human rights reforms. Much of the previous literature on the DTM focuses primarily on population growth and secondarily on economic development, which is, at its core, the purpose of the DTM. Rather, this research aims to identify patterns between known phenomena within the DTM and the chronological correspondence to legal protections. This analysis aims to investigate why, in some countries, the large-scale entry of women into the labor market precedes legal reforms and increased domestic rights, while in others it does not. To address this question, this study performs a comparative qualitative case study of the legal and economic history of four countries during their respective late Stage 3s of the DTM. The case studies include Norway, the United States, New Zealand, and France. By examining existing DTM data on population models, data on economic growth, and historical legal documents, this study seeks to identify plausible patterns within the data. This research is significant for drawing parallels on the way women in the workplace catalyze economic growth and legal reform.