The Roots of Gender Inequality in Developing Countries

Seema Jayachandran

No 20380, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Is the high degree of gender inequality in developing countries--in education, personal autonomy, and more--explained by underdevelopment itself? Or do the societies that are poor today hold certain cultural views that lead to gender inequality? This article discusses several mechanisms through which, as countries grow, gender gaps narrow. I argue that while much of the GDP/gender-inequality relationship can be explained by the process of development, society-specific factors are also at play: Many countries that are poor today have cultural norms that exacerbate favoritism toward males. Norms such as patrilocality and concern for women's "purity" help explain the male-skewed sex ratio in India and China and low female employment in India, the Middle East, and North Africa, for example. I also discuss why the sex ratio has become more male-skewed with development. Finally, I lay out some policy approaches to address gender inequality.

JEL-codes: J16 O10 O14 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-08
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ara
Note: CH DEV
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

Published as Seema Jayachandran, 2015. "The Roots of Gender Inequality in Developing Countries," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 7(1), pages 63-88, 08.

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Journal Article: The Roots of Gender Inequality in Developing Countries (2015)
Working Paper: The Roots of Gender Inequality in Developing Countries (2014)
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