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Catalyst for Change: Empowering Women and Tackling Income Inequality

Christian Gonzales, Sonali Jain-Chandra, Kalpana Kochhar, Monique Newiak and Tlek Zeinullayev

No 2015/020, IMF Staff Discussion Notes from International Monetary Fund

Abstract: This study shows empirically that gender inequality and income inequality are strongly interlinked, even after controlling for standard drivers of income inequality. The study analyzes gender inequality by using and extending the United Nation’s Gender Inequality Index (GII) to cover two decades for almost 140 countries,. The main finding is that an increase in the GII from perfect gender equality to perfect inequality is associated with an almost 10 points higher net Gini coefficient. For advanced countries, with higher gender equity in opportunities, income inequality arises mainly through gender gaps in economic participation. For emerging market and developing countries, inequality of opportunity, in particular in education and health, appear to pose larger obstacles to income equality.

Keywords: SDN; income; Income inequality; female labor force participation; gender equity; gender inequality; income share; household income; IMF staff estimate; gender earnings gap; higher-income household; tackling income inequality; Gender inequality; Women; Labor force participation; Middle East; East Africa; North Africa; South Asia; Sub-Saharan Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 42
Date: 2015-10-22
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (14)

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