| As levels of real per capita income in developing nations have more than tripled in the past three decades, the absolute status of women has improved considerably; nevertheless, despite this progress, widespread gender inequality persists. The present study represents the first attempt to formally examine the effect of several determinants of the global gender gap in a quantitative manner. In order to examine the differential effects of the determinants of gender inequality, including economic development, macroeconomic stabilization, globalization, culture, various demographic factors, and democracy, cross-sectional models are estimated using data from 2006 to 2008. To examine these effects over time, including the effects of labor force composition, and to examine the effects of these factors on different aspects of gender inequality, longitudinal models are estimated using data from 1985 to 2008. The results of these models suggest that the relationship between GDP per capita and gender equality is curvilinear while the relationship between market orientation and gender equality is negative. Other variables found to be important determinants of the global gender gap include: inflation, fiscal balance, culture, democracy, urbanization, remunerative employment, and employment in the industrial sector. To ensure that economic development does not disproportionately affect women, fiscal and trade policy need to be gender-considerate. |
