Catalyst for Change: Empowering Women and Tackling Income Inequality

By Christian Gonzales, Sonali Jain-Chandra, Kalpana Kochhar, Monique Newiak, Tlek Zeinullayev

October 22, 2015

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Christian Gonzales, Sonali Jain-Chandra, Kalpana Kochhar, Monique Newiak, and Tlek Zeinullayev. Catalyst for Change: Empowering Women and Tackling Income Inequality, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2015) accessed September 24, 2024

Disclaimer: This Staff Discussion Note represents the views of the authors and does not necessarily represent IMF views or IMF policy. The views expressed herein should be attributed to the authors and not to the IMF, its Executive Board, or its management. Staff Discussion Notes are published to elicit comments and to further debate.

Summary

This study shows empirically that gender inequality and income inequality are strongly interlinked, even after controlling for standard drivers of income inequality. The study analyzes gender inequality by using and extending the United Nation’s Gender Inequality Index (GII) to cover two decades for almost 140 countries,. The main finding is that an increase in the GII from perfect gender equality to perfect inequality is associated with an almost 10 points higher net Gini coefficient. For advanced countries, with higher gender equity in opportunities, income inequality arises mainly through gender gaps in economic participation. For emerging market and developing countries, inequality of opportunity, in particular in education and health, appear to pose larger obstacles to income equality.

Subject: Education, Gender, Gender inequality, Income inequality, Labor, Labor force participation, National accounts, Women

Keywords: East Africa, Female labor force participation, Gender earnings gap, Gender equity, Gender inequality, Gender inequality, Higher-income household, Household income, IMF staff estimate, Income, Income inequality, Income share, Labor force participation, Middle East, North Africa, SDN, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Tackling income inequality, Women

Publication Details

Pages:

42
Volume:

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DOI:

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Issue:

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Series:

Staff Discussion Notes No. 2015/020
Stock No:

SDNEA2015020
ISBN:

9781513533384
ISSN:

2617-6750

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