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The Distribution of Effort: Physical Activity, Gender Roles, and Bargaining Power in an Agrarian Setting

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Listed:
  • Jed Friedman
  • Isis Gaddis
  • Talip Kilic
  • Antonio Martuscelli
  • Amparo Palacios-Lopez
  • Alberto Zezza

Abstract

Physical effort is a primary component in models of economic behavior. However, applications that measure effort are historically scarce. This paper assesses the differences in physical activity between men and women through wearable accelerometers and uses these activity measures as a proxy for physical effort. Crucially, the accelerometer-generated data measures the level of physical activity associated with each activity or task recorded in the data. In this rural setting, women exert marginally higher levels of physical effort. However, differences in effort between men and women among married partners are strongly associated with differences in bargaining power, with larger husband-wife effort gaps alongside differences in age, individual land ownership, and an overall empowerment index. Physical activity can exhibit an unequal distribution between men and women suggesting that gender disadvantage, at least within couples, extends to the domain of physical effort.

Suggested Citation

  • Jed Friedman & Isis Gaddis & Talip Kilic & Antonio Martuscelli & Amparo Palacios-Lopez & Alberto Zezza, 2023. "The Distribution of Effort: Physical Activity, Gender Roles, and Bargaining Power in an Agrarian Setting," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 37(1), pages 93-111.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:wbecrv:v:37:y:2023:i:1:p:93-111.
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