The Political Economy of Gender

Abstract

Compared to their male counterparts, females the world over typically achieve lower levels of pay, status, and representation. But the patterns of gender gaps in wages and power across countries and across sectors within countries point to systematic and empirically testable propositions about the supply and demand of labor and the bargaining consequences of remuneration. Time constraints on females, on account of socially mandated family work, hinder their advancement in endeavors that put a premium on availability and continuous career investment.

When does women’s political power matter? Women’s representation and legal gender equality of economic opportunity across contexts

“…Female policymakers pay more attention than male counterparts to legal restrictions on women's economic autonomy because the ability for women to make independent economic decisions is critical to gender equality and women's empowerment, and legal discrimination undermines this ability. Women's employment and asset ownership shape their bargaining position at home, which affects outcomes important to women, such as economic and physical security and personal fulfillment (Hutchinson et al, 2018). When women are employed and/or own more assets, they are more likely to participate in household decision-making and better able to make independent decisions.…”