Gender Inequality

The gender gap remains significant across the world in many areas, from access to education to labor force participation and wages to representation in leadership positions. It also reflects direct harmful actions against women—violence, threats, and intimidation—and restrictive social norms and beliefs. In addition, it creates a misallocation of human capital, limiting both investment in and utilization of women’s skills.

While progress has been made in reducing gender inequality, there is still much work to be done. Gender inequality persists in part because it is deeply embedded in societies, and changing it requires tackling many different aspects of social life. This article provides an overview of the scope and dimensions of the problem, as well as some of its key drivers.

The causes of gender inequality vary across countries and are complex. The root causes typically involve gender bias and societal beliefs, which combine with preferences/comparative advantage and the fact that women are not exposed to the same kinds of risk as men (Jayachandran, 2021). Some of these factors can be addressed through policies with relatively low barriers, such as financial inclusion or laws that protect women from violence and discrimination. Others require greater societal change, such as the introduction of a more equitable value system and the creation of supportive institutions.

In some cases, the gender gap is a result of economic forces, such as the lower return to education for girls and higher opportunity cost of investing in boys, or because of differences in household resources (i.e., greater male wealth or higher female household savings). However, in most cases, the gender gap is a result both of economic forces and social processes, which are interrelated.

One way to understand how these processes interact is through an empirical examination of the data. While the availability of gender disaggregated statistics has increased substantially in recent years, gaps remain large in many countries and sectors. To make the most sense of these gaps, it is therefore essential to analyze the full set of available evidence on underlying dynamics and to use the best available estimates for country-level comparisons.

Moreover, it is important to recognize that gender equality should not be seen as a zero-sum game for men and women, as there are advantages and costs for both genders in reduced gender inequality. For example, a reduction in gender inequality means less unpaid labor by women, which may mean more time for men to spend on leisure activities. It also means fewer children born to girls, which may lead to higher birth rates among men and women, and a decrease in the rate of sexual violence against women, which benefits both men and women.

As such, efforts to reduce gender inequality should be broad and comprehensive, addressing all aspects of inequality. This includes recognition that the gap in innovation is not necessarily due to a lack of women in STEM fields and a willingness to invest in women’s education, but because of barriers related to their career choice and the culture of science itself.