## Gender Inequality and Economic Growth: Evidence from Industry-Level Data

_IMF Working Papers, July 3, 2020_

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**Canonical URL:** [Gender Inequality and Economic Growth: Evidence from Industry-Level Data](https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2020/07/03/gender-inequality-and-economic-growth-evidence-from-industry-level-data-49478)

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## Bibliographic details
- Authors: Ata Can Bertay, Ljubica Dordevic, Can Sever
- Published: July 3, 2020
- Series: IMF Working Papers
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781513546278.001

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### Study objective and hypothesis
- Study whether higher gender equality facilitates economic growth by enabling better allocation of female labor.
- Hypothesis: Reducing gender inequality should disproportionately benefit industries with typically higher female share in their employment relative to other industries by allocating female labor to its more productive use.
- Test focuses on whether industries that typically employ more women grow relatively faster in countries with ex-ante lower gender inequality.

### Methodology
- Exploits within-country variation across industries to identify causal effect of gender inequality on industry outcomes.
- Outcomes analyzed: industry growth in value-added and labor productivity.
- Identification strategy uses cross-industry comparisons within countries, leveraging differences in typical female employment shares across industries.

### Key findings
- Gender inequality affects real economic outcomes.
- Reducing gender inequality leads to relatively faster growth for industries with higher female employment shares.
- Evidence supports a causal effect of gender inequality on industry growth in value-added and labor productivity.

### Policy implications
- Policies that reduce gender inequality can improve allocation of female labor toward more productive uses.
- Such policies are likely to generate disproportionate gains in industries with higher female employment shares, thereby supporting overall economic growth.

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## Content in this bundle

- **Working Paper**
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_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2020/07/03/gender-inequality-and-economic-growth-evidence-from-industry-level-data-49478_