The Historical Gender Gap Index: A Longitudinal and Spatial Assessment of Sweden, 1870-1990

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Lund University; Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts & Sciences; International Institute of Social History (IISH-KNAW)
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC HISTORY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-0507
• DOI: 10.1017/S0022050723000359
• 发表日期: 2023
• 页码: 943-980
• 关键词: economic-growth; UNITED-STATES; wage policy; Child-care; INEQUALITY; EMPLOYMENT; work; TRANSITION; stagnation; education

摘要

This paper investigates the evolution of gender equality in Sweden during a phase characterized by industrialization, urbanization, and demographic transition. To this end, we build a database with quantitative indicators to construct a spatial Historical Gender Gap Index. We find that after a period of stagnation, Sweden made significant progress in closing the gender gap from the 1940s onward to reach the high level of gender equality that it is now famous for. The empirical exploration of the relationship between gender equality and economic development reveals that regions displaying higher gender equality performed economically better than less gender-equal regions.