Gender inequality and economic growth: evidence from industry-level data

Ata Can Bertay (), Ljubica Dordevic () and Can Sever ()
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Ata Can Bertay: Sabanci University
Ljubica Dordevic: IMF
Can Sever: IMF

Empirical Economics, 2025, vol. 68, issue 5, No 9, 2326 pages

Abstract: Abstract This paper examines whether higher gender equality facilitates economic growth by enabling better utilization of female labor. By allocating female labor to its more productive use, we hypothesize that reducing gender inequality should disproportionately benefit industries with relatively higher female share in their employment. In a sample of manufacturing industries from 65 EMDEs over the period of 1990–2018, we find a positive growth differential of about 26 percentage points over a decade between industries with a high and low female share in employment when they are located in a low gender inequality country compared to a country with high gender inequality.

Keywords: Economic growth; Economic development; Gender inequality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J16 O1 O40 O47 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s00181-024-02698-6

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