1 the status of women in latin america: what is the role of social institutions? denis drechsler...

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The Status of Women in Latin America: What is the Role of Social Institutions?Denis DrechslerOECD Development CentreInstitut d‘Études PolitiquesParis 4 May 2007

2

Recently Elected Female Heads of State in the World

Chile: M. Bachelet Finland: T. Halonen

Germany: A. Merkel

Liberia: E. Johnson Sirleaf

3

Institutions and Development

Development

Growth Equity Gender

Level 1 Institutions: Social norms; hardly

moving

Level 2 Institutions: slow moving; e.g. property

rights

Level 3 Institutions: cooperate governance

Level 4 Institutions: Fast moving, capital flow

controls

Source: Williamson 2000

4

Introduction: Why does gender equality matter?I

A new tool: The Gender, Institutions and Development Database (GID-DB)

II

Applying the GID: What is the situation of women in Latin America?

III

The impact of social institutions on gender equality

IV

What can be done? V

ConclusionVI

5

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

6

… 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?

7



II


III


IV

What can be done? V

ConclusionVI

8

II) The Gender, Institutions and Development Database (GID)

• A new tool for researchers and policy makers

• Allows an analysis of obstacles to women’s economic status

• Covers 161 economies and has around 60 indicators on gender discrimination

• Includes institutional variables that range from intrahousehold behaviour to social norms

9

Indicators affecting the Economic Role of Women

Political Empowerment (C)e.g. seats in parliament held by women

Social Institutions (A)e.g. Family Code, Physical Integrity, Civil Liberties, Ownership Rights

Economic Role of Women (D)e.g. share of women in wage employment in the non- agricultural sector

Access to Resources (B)e.g. Health, Education

Input Variables Output Variables

Source: Own Illustration.

10

GID-Indicators: Social Institutions

Physical Integrity

•Prevalence of female genital mutilation

•Missing Women

•Legislation punishing acts of violence against 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

11

Early Marriages in India

In the Rajgarh district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, a group of girl brides sit solemnly during celebrations that will culminate in their weddings later in the day.

Source: Courtesy of the United Nations Children's Foundation

12

Violence against women

Source: BBC News Source: AFP

According to a UN report (2000), one in three woman in the world has been beaten, coerced into sex or abused in some other way, most often by someone she knows.

13



II


III


IV

What can be done? V

ConclusionVI

14

III) The Situation of Women in Latin America: A global and

regional perspective

• Latin America and Caribbean – LAC:

Argentina; Bolivia; Brazil; Chile; Colombia; Costa Rica; Cuba; Dominican Rep.; Ecuador; Guatemala; Honduras; Haiti; Jamaica; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Peru; Puerto Rico; Paraguay; El Salvador; Trinidad and Tobago; Uruguay; Venezuela

15

Global Perspective:Employment, Education

and Health Care

Important divide between:

- Latin America, East Asia and Pacific and OECD

countries

- South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and the MENA

region

16

EmploymentWomen in paid labour (in % of all paid workers)

28.1

16.9 19.2

37.5 38.644.4 44.0

0

10

20

30

40

50

SSA SA MENA EAP ECA LAC OECD

Region

Per

cen

tag

e

Source: GID Data Base

17

EducationGirls' school enrolment

0102030405060708090

100


Region

Per

cen

tag

e

primary school

secondary school

tertiary school


18

EducationWomen's literacy rate as a share of men's literacy rate

0.000.100.200.300.400.500.600.700.800.901.00


Region

fem

ale/

mal

e ra

tio


19

Health Care

* of 100,000 life birthsSource: GID Data Base

Maternal mortality rate*

0100200300400500600700800900

1000


Region

Nu

mb

er

20

Overall: Latin America performs comparatively well…

• Employment- Latin America and Caribbean region has twice as many

women in the paid work force than MENA

• Education- 30% more girls are enrolled in primary education in Latin

America than in sub-Saharan Africa

• Health Care- Significantly lower maternal mortality rate compared to South Asia

21

… but some regional disparities: e.g. women in paid labour


Country

NicaraguaColombiaJamaicaHaitiHondurasCosta RicaGuatemalaEcuador

49.047.546.2

34.244.2

33.034.0

31.6

% of all paid workers

22

…or: literacy rate as a share of men's literacy rate

CountryJamaicaNicaraguaUruguayPuerto RicoHaitiPeruBoliviaGuatemala 0.81

1.000.930.900.87

female/ male ratio1.091.011.01


23

…or: Maternal mortality

Source: GID Database

Country

Puerto RicoUruguayChileCubaBrazilPeruBoliviaHaiti

420680

3133260410

of 100,000 life births

2527

24

Regional disparities: An Income Phenomenon?

• High-Income Countries - HICPuerto Rico

• Upper-Middle Income Countries - UMCArgentina; Chile; Costa Rica; Mexico; Panama; Trinidad and Tobago; Uruguay; Venezuela

• Lower-Middle Income Countries – LMCBolivia; Brazil; Colombia; Cuba; Dominican Rep.; Ecuador; Guatemala; Honduras; Jamaica; Peru; Paraguay; El Salvador

• Low-Income Countries – LIC

Haiti; Nicaragua

25

EmploymentWomen in paid labour (in % of all paid workers)

46.6

37.5 37.442.4

05

101520253035404550

LAC-LIC LAC-LMC LAC-UMC LAC-HIC

Income group

Pe

rce

nta

ge


26

EducationWomen's literacy rate as a share of men's literacy rate

0.000.100.200.300.400.500.600.700.800.901.001.10


Income group

fem

ale

/ma

le r

ati

o


27

Health CareMaternal mortality rate*

455

191

85

25

050

100150200250300350400450500


Income group

Nu

mb

er


* of 100,000 life births

28



II


III


IV

What can be done? V

ConclusionVI

29

Social Institutions

00.050.1

0.150.2

0.250.3

0.350.4

0.450.5


Region

Lev

el

Scale: 0 (minimum) to 1 (maximum) = level of discrimination through social institutionsSource: GID Data Base

30

IV) The Impact of Social Institutions on Gender Equality

• Modelling approach

- (access to resources) = f (social institutions) + (log Y) + et

- (economic role of women) = f (access to resources) + (log Y) + et

- (economic role of women) = f (social institutions) + (log Y) + et

31

Social Institutions and Female Participation in the Labour Market…

Source: Jütting, Morrison, Dayton-Johnson, Drechsler (2006)

GDP (Log income)

Social Institutions

(GID)

GDI(UNDP)

Observa-tions

R-squared

5.2**(6.5)

146 0.18

-45.1**(-11.7)

116 0.55

42.4**

(9.1)136 0.38

-1.1(-0.5)

-40.8**(-6.1)

11.7(0.7)

109 0.55

% o

f wom

en

in p

aid

n

on

-ag

ricu

ltrual la

bou

r forc

e

32

…a clearly negative correlation

ZWE

ZMB

YEM

VNM

VEN

URYUSAGBR

UAE

UKR

UGA

TUR

TUN

TGO

THA

TZA

SYR

CHE

SWE

SDN

LKAESP ZAF

SVK

SEN

SAU

RUS

ROUPRTPOL

PHL

PER

PRYPAN

PAK

OMN

NOR

NGA

NER

NIC

NZL

NLD

NPL

NAM

MMR

MOZ

MAR

MEXMUSMRT

MLTMLI

MYS

MWI

MDG

LUX

LBY

LBNKWT

KORKEN

JOR

JPNITA

ISRIRL

IRN

IDN

IND

ISL

HUN

HND

HTI

GNB

GRC

GHA

DEUFRA

FIN

FJI

ETH

EST

ERI

GNQ

SLV

EGY

ECU

DOM

DNKCZE

CUB

CIV

CRI

COL

CHNCHL

TCD

CAF

CAN

CMR

BFA

BGR

BRA BWA

BOL

BENBEL

BGD

BHR

AUT

AUSARMARG

AGO

DZA

ALB

020

4060

0 .2 .4 .6 .8Institutions

Fitted values WWORKING (non-agri %)


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…which is more pronounced than economic development

ZWE

ZMB

YEM

VNM

VEN

URYUSAGBR

UKR

UGA

TUR

TUN

TGO

THA

TZA

SYR

CHE

SWE

SDN

LKAESPZAF

SVK

SEN

SAU

RUSPRTPOL

PHL

PER

PRYPAN

PAK

OMN

NOR

NGA

NER

NIC

NZL

NLD

NPL

NAM

MOZ

MAR

MEXMUSMRT

MLTMLI

MYS

MWI

MDG

LUX

LBNKWT

KORKEN

JOR

JPNITA

ISRIRL

IRN

IDN

IND

ISL

HUN

HND

HTI

GNB

GRC

GHA

DEUFRA

FIN

FJI

ETH

EST

ERI

GNQ

SLV

EGY

ECU

DOM

DNKCZE

CIV

CRI

COL

CHNCHL

TCD

CAF

CAN

CMR

BFA

BGR

BRABWA

BOL

BENBEL

BGD

BHR

AUT

AUSARM ARG

AGO

DZA

ALBUZB TTO

TJK

SWZ

SVN SGP

SLE

RWA

PRI

PNG

MNG

MDA

MKD

LTU

LSO

LVA

LAOKGZ

KAZJAM HKG

GNB

GTM

GEO

GMB

GAB

HRV

COG

KHM

BDI

BIH

BLR

AZE

020

4060

6 7 8 9 10 11lnY



34

Social institutions and educational attainment

ZWE

ZMB

YEM

VNM

VENURYUSA

UAE

UKR

UGA

TUR

TUN

TGO

THA

TZA

SYRSDN

LKAESP ZAFSVK

SEN

SAU

RUSROUPRT

POLPHL

PER

PRYPAN

PAK

OMNNGA

NER

NIC

NPL

NAM

MMR

MOZ

MAR

MEXMUS

MRT

MLT

MLI

MYS

MWI

MDG

LUX

LBY

LBN

KWTKOR

KENJOR

ITAISR

IRN

IDN

IND

HUN HND

HTI

GNB

GRC

GHA

FRAFJI

ETH

EST

ERI

GNQ

SLV

EGY

ECUDOMCUB

CIV

CRICOL

CHN

CHL

TCD

CAF

CMR

BFA

BGRBRA

BWA

BOL

BEN

BGD

BHR

AUS ARMARG

AGO

DZA

ALB

.4.6

.81

1.2

0 .2 .4 .6 .8Institutions

Fitted values RatioLIT


35

Average marriage age and women in paid labour

ZWE

ZMB

YEM

VNM

VEN

URYUSAGBR

UAE

UKR

UGA

TUR

TUN

TGO

THA

TZA

SYR

CHE

SWE

SDN

LKAESP ZAF

SVK

SEN

SAU

RUS

ROUPRT POL

PHL

PER

PRYPAN

PAK

OMN

NOR

NGA

NER

NIC

NZL

NLD

NPL

NAM

MMR

MOZ

MAR

MEXMUSMRT

MLTMLI

MYS

MWI

MDG

LUX

LBY

KWT

KORKEN

JOR

JPNITA

ISRIRL

IRN

IDN

IND

ISL

HUN

HND

HTI

GNB

GRC

GHA

FRA

FIN

FJI

ETH

EST

ERI

GNQ

SLV

EGY

ECU

DOM

DNKCZE

CUB

CIV

CRI

COL

CHNCHL

TCD

CAF

CAN

CMR

BFA

BGR

BRA BWA

BOL

BENBEL

BGD

BHR

AUT

AUSARMARG

AGO

DZA

ALB

WBG

UZB TTO

TJK

SWZ

SVNSGP

SLE

SCG

RWA

PRI

PNG

MNG

MDA

MKD

LTU

LBR LSO

LVA

LAOKGZ

KAZ JAM

IRQ

HKG

GTM

GEO

GMB

GAB

HRV

KHM

BDIBTN

BLR

AZE

020

4060

15 20 25 30 35AGEMAR



36

Early MarriageFemale population ever married at the age 15-19

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30


Income group

Rat

io


37

Early marriage and GDP p.c.


0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

0.35

Puerto Rico Mexico Guatemala Nicaragua

Country

Rat

io

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

$ P

PP

Early marriage GDP per capita ($ PPP)

38



II


III


IV

What can be done? V

ConclusionVI

39

V) What can be done?

• Empowerment of women

- More participation of women in decision making on

community level (example: quota in India)

• Sex-disaggregated data collection

• Enforcement reform of legal structures

- Monitoring systems to ensure changes

• Convince men of benefit of reforms

- Men should get incentives to accept changes and in

some cases compensation for potential losses

40

Barriers to change: Some important caveats

• Depth of tradition- Examples: polygamy, early marriage

- Rural population remains attached to such traditions despite their legal

interdiction

• Institutional change conflicts with men’s interest- Examples: polygamy, repudiation

- Inequality provides men with material advantages that they lose upon

reform

• Limited enforcement of reforms- Example: Widely toleration of violence against women by police in

northern states of India

- Wide gap in performance between the publication of a law and its effective implementation

41

Gender equality is getting more and more attention…

Women in CostaRica

demonstratedfor equal rightson InternationalWomen’s Day2006.

Source: AFP

42

…and a voice

Women police officers in India have formed a national forum to fight sexual harassment and discrimination from their male colleagues.

Source: BBC news

43

India's first computer-literate village

Photo: M.S. Vinod

At least one member of every family in the village — there are 850 families — has completed basic computer literacy training.

44

The Grameen phone scheme - 'Telephone Ladies' connect

Bangladesh

Grameen phone ladies provide villagers with a vital link to services such as hospitals and to relatives both at home and abroad, in a country with the lowest number of phones in South Asia.

45



II


III


IV

What can be done? V

ConclusionVI

46

VI) Conclusion

• Gender equality is key to development

• Role of social institutions overlooked

• Changes are possible in different settings

• Need to provide the right incentives

• Strategies should be flexible and adapted to levels of development and socio-economic context

47

Merci!

48

Further LiteratureForsythe N., Korzeniewicz R.P. & Durrant,V. (2000). Gender

Inequalities and Economic Growth: A Longitudinal Evaluation. Economic Development and Cultural Change, vol. 48(3), pp. 573-617.

Jütting J., Morrisson C., Dayton-Johnson J. & Drechsler D. (2006). Measuring Gender (In)equality: Introducing the Gender, Institutions and Development Data Base (GID), OECD Working Paper No. 247.

Jütting J., Morrisson C., Dayton-Johnson J. & Drechsler D. (2006). The Gender, Institutions and Development Data Base, OECD Policy Insight No. 16.

Klasen, S. (2002). Low Schooling for Girls, Slower Growth for All? Cross-Country Evidence on the Effect of Gender Inequality in Education on Economic Development. The World Bank Economic Review, Vol. 16(3), pp. 315 – 373.

World Bank (2001). Engendering Development through Gender Equality in Rights, Resources and Voice. Washington D.C.: World Bank

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