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Gendered laws and women in the workforce

Author

Listed:
  • Hyland, Marie
  • Djankov, Simeon
  • Goldberg, Pinelopi

Abstract

This paper offers for the first time a global picture of gender discrimination by the law as it affects women's economic opportunity and charts the evolution of legal inequalities over five decades. Using the World Bank's newly constructed "Women, Business and the Law" database, we document large and persistent gender inequalities, especially with regard to pay and treatment of parenthood. We find positive correlations between more equal laws pertaining to women in the workforce and more equal labor market outcomes, such as higher female labor force participation and a smaller wage gap between men and women.

Suggested Citation

  • Hyland, Marie & Djankov, Simeon & Goldberg, Pinelopi, 2020. "Gendered laws and women in the workforce," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 118903, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:118903
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/118903/
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • J78 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Public Policy (including comparable worth)
    • K31 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Labor Law

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