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  3. Journal of Economic Literature
  4. December 2012
  5. Women Empowerment and Economic Development

Women Empowerment and Economic Development

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Abstract

Women empowerment and economic development are closely related: in one direction, development alone can play a major role in driving down inequality between men and women; in the other direction, empowering women may benefit development. Does this imply that pushing just one of these two levers would set a virtuous circle in motion? This paper reviews the literature on both sides of the empowerment–development nexus, and argues that the interrelationships are probably too weak to be self-sustaining, and that continuous policy commitment to equality for its own sake may be needed to bring about equality between men and women. (JEL I14, I24, I32, I38, J13, J16, O15)

Citation

Duflo, Esther. 2012. "Women Empowerment and Economic Development." Journal of Economic Literature, 50 (4): 1051-79. DOI: 10.1257/jel.50.4.1051

JEL Classification

  • I14 Health and Inequality
  • I24 Education and Inequality
  • I32 Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
  • I38 Welfare and Poverty: Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
  • J13 Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
  • J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
  • O15 Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration