A new World Bank Policy Research Working Paper (PRWP 11198, September 2025) draws on data from more than 33,000 firms across 104 developing countries to examine gender participation in global value chains. While manufacturing exporters employ a higher share of women on average-34% compared with 29% in non-exporters, the trend reverses in services. Exporting services firms report a lower female labor share (28%) than non-exporters (32%), with the gap most visible before the COVID-19 pandemic. This divergence highlights structural segregation, with women concentrated in lower-skill, non-traded services such as retail and hospitality, while high-value export-intensive sectors like ICT and finance remain male-dominated.
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