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  2. ASSA Annual Meeting
  3. 2022
  4. Preliminary Program
  5. Gender Inequality II
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Gender Inequality II

Paper Session

Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022 12:15 PM - 2:15 PM (EST)

Hosted By: Association for Social Economics & International Association for Feminist Economics
  • Chair: Ana Androsik, New School for Social Research

Bivariate Tests of Credit Market Discrimination with an Application to Intersectionality

Anastasia Cozarenco
,
Montpellier Business School
Ariane Szafarz
,
Montpellier Business School

Abstract

This paper develops a bivariate test for discrimination in lending which is applicable regardless of the profit orientation of the lender. The originality of the testing approach comes from combining denial rates and recovery rates. We also extend the test to address intersectional discrimination. In our French microcredit dataset, the tests reveal that the positive—and socially consistent—intersectional bias toward migrant women hides the striking fact that European Union women’s loan applications are handled more harshly than those of their male counterparts, which suggests that pro-social lenders are not immune to discriminatory attitudes stemming from entrenched gender stereotypes.

Are Two Sources of Credit Better than One?: Credit Access and Debt among Microfinance Clients in Bangladesh

Nudrat Faria Shreya
,
University of Kent

Abstract

The recent collapse of several microfinance sectors as well as the current COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a growing concern about the risk of multiple borrowing among microcredit clients in developing countries. Researchers argue that availability of multiple sources of credit has tempted clients to take multiple loans simultaneously, and subsequently default on loans. However, there is little empirical evidence on the impact of multiple borrowing on welfare. Using a spatial fuzzy regression discontinuity design, in this paper I empirically study the impact of an additional source of credit on outstanding and delinquent debt and monthly income by comparing individuals with access to two sources of credit with individuals with access to a single source of credit. In addition, I find that access to an additional source of credit leads to a reduction in a borrower’s outstanding debt by USD 44.75 and a decline in number of outstanding loans by 0.07. However, an additional source of credit has no effect on delinquent debt or monthly income of borrowers. In addition, I provide evidence of no effect of outstanding debt on psychosocial wellbeing of borrowers in terms of their happiness, life satisfaction, financial satisfaction and health satisfaction. The findings of this paper is particularly important amidst the pandemic where researchers dread multiple borrowing and subsequent indebtedness to cause financial distress among borrowers.

Caring Labor during Ebola Crises in Sierra Leone: Lessons for COVID

Ana Androsik
,
New School for Social Research

Abstract

Based on the analysis of the Ebola crisis on rural poor men and women income and caretaking responsibilities highlighted in this case study, we can state that most women bore the costs of caretaking responsibilities. However, both women and men of Sierra Leone bore serious socio-economic costs at the level of their productive labor (income in this case study). The international community is presently dealing with the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on marginalized communities, and the outcomes are still unknown. This brief case study helps to understand the gendered outcomes of previous public health epidemics in the context of social stratification. It is likely that many international humanitarian organizations will eventually aim at building economic and social resilience of impoverished communities with the focus on specific needs of different genders. An evidence from previous public health crises on the economy can help design the most efficient program interventions

Pink Tech: Did Computers and the Internet Reduce the Gender Wage Gap? Evidence from Brazilian Data

Ana Luisa G. Abras
,
Federal University of ABC
Giovana C. Bigliazzi
,
University of São Paulo
Mônica Yukie Kuwahara
,
Federal University of ABC

Abstract

Despite the increase in female participation in the Brazilian labor market and a reduction in the average wage gap between men and women, there are gender inequalities in the distribution of workers within sectors and occupations and different degrees of formalization of employment. Some studies associate the reduction of the wage gap with a set of skills of women in non-routine occupations, making them more able to face technological challenges. We aim to identify the factors that are related to the reduction in the wage gap by turning our attention to the tasks performed by men and women. Could tasks associated with occupations with a greater female presence allow women better reactions in terms of variation in the rate of wages and the rate of formal employment in the face of a recent technological challenges? The empirical strategy uses the National Census (Censo) with instrumental variables technics. We estimate the variation in the average wages of men and women, considering the characteristics of the labor market in each 412 micro-regions between 2000 and 2010. This stage filters out the influence of the demographic changes and observable characteristics of individuals. Secondly, we verify whether there is a relationship between the variation in wages and the type of task performed in each occupation. The data suggest that broadband expansion could have benefited women in markets where their relative participation in non-routine tasks was higher and possibly complemented by internet use. The results indicate that in markets more specialized in routine tasks the growth of wages and job formality for women is higher than for men.
JEL Classifications
  • B5 - Current Heterodox Approaches
  • D6 - Welfare Economics