Gender and Development:
Introducing the Gender, Institutions
and Development Data Base
Johannes Jütting and Denis Drechsler
OECD Development Centre
Norway Ministry of Foreign Affairs
O s l o

9
M a r c h
2 0 0 7
I
Gender Equality Matters
II
Measuring Gender Equality: The GID-Data Base
III
Improving Gender Equality: What Can be Done?
IV
Next Steps
2
I) Gender equality matters…
 Gender equality = women and men have equal
conditions for realising their full human rights and for
contributing to, and benefiting from economic, social,
cultural and political development.
 Gender equality is an important goal in itself (MDG 3)…
 … and also contributes to the achievement of other
objectives:
- stimulate growth and reduce poverty
- reduce inequities
- contribute to child development
3
… but what determines it?
 Causalities between development and gender
inequalities not clear
 2 main schools of thinking
- Modernisation-neoclassical approach
- Feminist thesis
 Measurement problems: What? How?
4
Main messages
 Apart from having an intrinsic value, gender equality is
an untapped source that can boost economic growth
 Improving gender equality needs to start with changing
mindsets
 Both messages are relevant for OECD and non-OECD
countries
 OECD countries: aging population, decline in the dependency
ratio, double dividend from gender equality: increasing work
force and improving demographics
 Non-OECD countries: better human development, higher
female labour force participation, more sustainable growth
5
Challenge in OECD countries:
Reverse declining fertility
2.7
2.7
2.6
2.6
2.5
2.5
2.4
2.4
replacement level of 2.1
2.3
2.3
2.2
2.2
2.1
2.1
2.0
USA
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.8
1.7
OECD-27
1.6
1.7
1.6
1.5
EU-19
1.4
Japan
1.3
1.5
1.4
1.3
1.2
1.2
1.1
1.1
1.0
1.0
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000 2002
Source: OECD (2005)
6
More women employed = More babies born
Cross-country correlation between women employment
rates and fertility rates between 1980 and 1999
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
-0.2
-0.4
-0.6
19
80
19
81
19
82
19
83
19
84
19
85
19
86
19
87
19
88
19
89
19
90
19
91
19
92
19
93
19
94
19
95
19
96
19
97
19
98
19
99
-0.8
Source: OECD (2005)
7
Previous analyses have mostly looked
at women employment rates…
1980
2000
2.6
3.4
IRL
MEX
3.0
2.2
Total fertility rate
Total fertility rate
KOR
2.6
2.2
GRC
ESP
1.8
NZL
ITA BEL
NLD
1.4
AUT
PRT
AUS
FRA
DEU
GBR
USA
SWE
JPN
FIN
CHE
NZL
IRL
USA
ISL
NOR
FRA
1.8
1.4
ITA
AUS
DNK
FIN NLD
GBR
PRT CAN
KOR
SWE CHE
HUN DEU
AUT
POL
JPN
SVK
ESP
CZE
1.0
1.0
20
30
40
50
Employment rates of women
60
20
30
40
50
60
Employment rates of women
70
Source: OECD (2005)
8
…while people’s mindsets are
equally, if not more, important.
9
Gender equality can be a powerful
source of economic development…
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
OECD-TOP
GDP pc (in '000)
EAP-OECD
EAP non-OECD
SA
Women in paid labor, non agricultrual sector (in %)
Source: Gender, Institutions and Development Data Base, OECD (2006).
Note: OECD-TOP refers to United States, Ireland, Norway, Iceland
10
…and can directly impact
countries’ growth rates
Growth effect of closing the gender gap in schooling.
4
Actual growth rate
Projected growth rate
(percent)
3
2
1
0
Sub-Saharan Africa
South Asia
Middle East/North Africa
Source: “Engendering Development”, in World Development Report 2000/01, “Attacking Poverty”,
Washington: World Bank.
11
II) Measuring Gender Equality:
The GID Data Base
 A new tool for researchers and policy makers to:
 quantify and measure gender equality
 build indicators of gender equality
 compare the status of women across countries
 analyse obstacles to gender equality
 Covers 161 countries and has 60 indicators
 Includes institutional variables that range from
intra-household behaviour to social norms
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Methodological Framework
Input Variables
Output Variables
Social Institutions (A)
e.g. Family Code, Physical Integrity, Civil
Liberties, Ownership Rights
Access to Resources (B)
e.g. Health, Education
Economic Role of Women (D)
e.g. share of women in wage
employment in the non- agricultural sector
Political Empowerment (C)
e.g. seats in parliament held by women
Source: Own Illustration.
13
GID-Indicators : Social Institutions
Physical Integrity
 Legislation punishing acts of violence against women
 Prevalence of female genital mutilation
 Missing Women
Family Code
 Marriage before the age of 20
 Acceptance of polygamy within a society
 Parental authority granted to father and mother equally
 Inheritance practices in favour of male heirs
Ownership Rights
 Women’s access to land ownership
 Women’s access to bank loans
 Women’s access to property other than land
Civil Liberties
 Freedom of movement
 Obligation to wear a veil in public
14
60
Social Institutions and Female
Labour Force Participation
SDN
0
20
40
GHA
UKR
ISLSVK
BGR
VNM
EST
NZL
SWE
NAM
FINRUS
HND
GBR
CAN
NOR
AUS
ISR
USA
COL
DNK
POL
ARG
IRL
HUN
FRA
ARM
BWABEN
CHE
PRT
THA
BRA
DEU
URY
CZE
NLD
ROU
AUT
BEL
PAN
LKA
PRY
VEN
KOR
ITA
ECU
PHL
GRC
NIC
TGO
JPN
ESP
ETH
CRI
HTI CHN ALB
ZAF
KEN
MUS
LUX
MYS
CUB
MEX
CHLPER
MRT
BOL
MMR FJI
MLI
UGA ERI
DOM
NGA
MLT
SLV
IDN
CAF
GNB
ZMB
TZA
AGO
MAR
LBN
SEN
OMN
TUN MDG
JOR
BGD
KWT
CMR ZWEEGY
TUR
CIV
SYR IND
IRN
DZA
BFA
LBY
SAU
UAE
MWINPL BHRMOZ
GNQ
NER PAK
YEM
TCD
0
.2
.4
Institutions
Fitted values
.6
.8
WWORKING (non-agri %)
Source: GID Database
15
Social Institutions: Income Perspective
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
LIC
HIC (non OECD)
Family Code
LMC
Physical Integrity
UMC
Civil Liberties
HIC
OECD
Ownership Rights
Scale: 0 (minimum) to 1 (maximum) = level of discrimination through social institutions
Source: GID Database
16
Social Institutions: Regional Perspective
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.0
SA
MENA
Family Code
SSA
Physical Integrity
EAP
ECA
Civil Liberties
LAC
OECD
Ownership Rights
Scale: 0 (minimum) to 1 (maximum) = level of discrimination through social institutions
Source: GID Database
17
The GID Data Base Online
http://www.oecd.org/dev/institutions/GIDdatabase
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III) Improving Gender Equality:
What Can be Done?
 OECD countries:
 Change mindsets
 Adapt policies to allow better work-family balance
 Specific instruments: taxes, allowances, leave provision etc.
 Non-OECD countries:





Improve data collection and monitor progress
Better understand local specificities
Ensure effective design and implementation of laws
Strengthen women’s voice
Communicate benefits of reforms
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IV) Next Steps
 Consolidate the data base
 Data quality and variable selection
 Composite indicators
 Conduct country case studies
 What social institutions impact gender equality?
 How can they be measured?
 Outreach and networking activities
 International organisations and local statistical offices
 Advocacy in donor and partner countries
20