Women’s political empowerment, economic development, and democracy around COVID-19: a cross-country analysis

Mohammad Bitar, Jonathan Peillex, Imane El Ouadghiri and Hassan Obeid

Applied Economics, 2025, vol. 57, issue 48, 7961-7979

Abstract: We study the effect of Women’s Political Empowerment (WPE) on COVID-19 contagion using a sample of 48 countries during the pandemic. We find that the number of COVID-19 cases is lower in countries with better WPE. Channels’ analyses show that the effect of WPE on COVID-19 contagion is more pronounced in democratic countries and in countries with better economic development. The findings underscore the importance of diverse and gender-inclusive leadership in crisis management. As for policy implications, we show that fostering women empowerment in politics not only advances gender equality but also contributes to a more resilient economy through effective health crisis preparedness and well-crafted response strategies.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/00036846.2024.2394698

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