Gender Equality and Economic Growth in Brazil

This note studies the long-run impacts of policies aimed at fostering gender equality on economic growth in Brazil. After a brief review of gender issues in Brazil, this note describes a framework for quantifying the growth effects of gender-based policies in developing economies. The analysis is based on a computable overlapping generations (OLG) model that accounts for the impact of access to infrastructure on women's time allocation, as well as human capital accumulation, inter- and intra-generational health externalities, and bargaining between spouses. The model is calibrated for Brazil and is used to conduct two experiments, the first involving improved access to infrastructure, and the second a reduction in gender bias in the marketplace. The key lesson of these experiments, is that fostering gender equality, which may depend significantly on the externalities that infrastructure creates in terms of women's time allocation and bargaining power, can have a substantial impact on long-run growth in Brazil.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Agénor, Pierre-Richard, Canuto, Otaviano
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2013-03
Subjects:	ADULTHOOD, ANTIDISCRIMINATION, CHILD CARE, CHILD REARING, CHILDHOOD, DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMICS, EDUCATED MOTHERS, EFFECTS OF GENDER, EQUAL PAY, EQUAL WORK, FAMILIES, FAMILY INCOME, FAMILY PREFERENCE, FAMILY RESOURCES, FATHERS, FEMALE, FEMALE LABOR, FEMALE LABOR FORCE, FEMALES, FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENTS, FLEXIBLE WORKING ARRANGEMENTS, GENDER, GENDER BIAS, GENDER DIFFERENCES, GENDER EQUALITY, GENDER EQUALITY ISSUES, GENDER GAP, GENDER GAPS, GENDER GAPS IN ACCESS, GENDER INEQUALITY, GENDER ISSUES, GENDER PERSPECTIVE, GENDER PERSPECTIVES, GIRLS, GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, HEALTH CARE, HOME, HOUSEHOLD CHORES, HUMAN CAPITAL, HUSBAND, ILLITERACY, IMPACTS OF POLICIES, INCOME INEQUALITY, INEQUALITY, INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT, LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION, LAWS, LEVELS OF EDUCATION, MALE PARTICIPATION, MEDICINE, NATIONAL PLAN, POLICIES ON GENDER, POLICY ANALYSIS, POLICY RESEARCH, POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER, PREGNANCY, PRIMARY EDUCATION, PRIVATE SECTOR, PRODUCTIVITY, PROGRESS, PROPORTION OF WOMEN, PUBLIC POLICY, PURCHASING POWER, PURCHASING POWER PARITY, ROLE OF GENDER, SKILL LEVEL, SOCIAL NORMS, SOCIAL PROGRAMS, SPOUSES, TERTIARY EDUCATION, UNEMPLOYMENT, UNITED NATIONS, WAGE GAP, WIFE, WORKFORCE, WORKING WOMEN,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/03/17423390/gender-equality-economic-growth-brazil https://hdl.handle.net/10986/17027
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