Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate empirically some of the factors which influence the ability and/or desire of women to join the labour force in Trinidad and Tobago.

Design/methodology/approach
– The methodology used is based on a probit model employing variables such as education, age and earnings to estimate the probability of participation. Additionally, the influence of country-specific qualitative factors, such as ethnicity and religion, were also considered.

Findings
– The results of the model revealed that the level of schooling, age, household headship, and being single have positive influences on female participation in Trinidad and Tobago. Conversely, the presence of children in the household, accessing social security programmes, and chronic illness had negative effects on participation.

Social implications
– National surveys such as the Survey of Living Conditions (SLC) and the Household Budget Survey (HBS) have revealed a higher incidence of poverty among women compared to men in Trinidad and Tobago. One possible reason for this is the corresponding lower labour force participation rate of women when compared to men.

Originality/value
– This research is particularly unique since it included both economic and non-economic variables (religion and ethnicity) specific to the Trinidad and Tobago economy to investigate female participation in the labour market. Furthermore, the results of this research can serve as a useful tool for more gender-sensitive policy formulation in Trinidad and Tobago, and possibly the wider Caribbean region.