Gender and Development: Introducing the Gender, Institutions and Development Data Base

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Gender and DevelopmentIntroducing the Gender,
Institutions and Development Data Base

• Johannes Jütting and Denis Drechsler
• OECD Development Centre

Norway Ministry of Foreign Affairs Oslo ? 9
March 2007
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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

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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?

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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

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Challenge in OECD countriesReverse declining
fertility
Source OECD (2005)
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More women employed More babies born
Cross-country correlation between women
employment rates and fertility rates between
1980 and 1999
Source OECD (2005)
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Previous analyses have mostly looked at women
employment rates
Source OECD (2005)
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while peoples mindsets are equally, if not
more, important.
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Gender equality can be a powerful source of
economic development
Source Gender, Institutions and Development Data
Base, OECD (2006). Note OECD-TOP refers to
United States, Ireland, Norway, Iceland
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and can directly impact countries growth rates
Growth effect of closing the gender gap in
schooling.
Source Engendering Development, in World
Development Report 2000/01, Attacking Poverty,
Washington World Bank.
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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
Economic Role of Women (D)
Access to Resources (B)
e.g. share of women in wage
e.g. Health, Education
employment in the non
-
agricultural sector
Political Empowerment (C)
e.g. seats in parliament held by women
Source Own Illustration.
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GID-Indicators Social Institutions

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Social Institutions and Female Labour Force
Participation
Source GID Database
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Social Institutions Income Perspective
Scale 0 (minimum) to 1 (maximum) level of
discrimination through social institutions
Source GID Database
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Social Institutions Regional Perspective
Scale 0 (minimum) to 1 (maximum) level of
discrimination through social institutions
Source GID Database
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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 womens 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