Gender and Its Relevance to Macroeconomic Policy: A Survey
- Document number
- 1402
- Date
- 2006
- Title
- Gender and Its Relevance to Macroeconomic Policy: A Survey
- Author/publisher
- International Monetary Fund - IMF Working Paper WP/06/233
- Availability
- View/save PDF version of this document
- Document type(s)
- Research/Study/Analysis,
- Keywords
- Discrimination, Economic growth, Labour migration, Globalization, Poverty, Social exclusion
- Summary
- This survey examines the implications of gender differences in economic behavior formacroeconomic policy. It finds that reducing gender inequality and improving the status ofwomen may contribute to higher rates of economic growth and greater macroeconomicstability. Women’s relative lack of opportunities in developing countries inhibits economicgrowth, while, at the same time, economic growth leads to a reduction in their disadvantagedcondition. Equality of opportunity in labor and financial markets is critical to enablingwomen to take full advantage of improved macroeconomic conditions. Macroeconomicpolicies should take into account the benefits of reducing gender inequalities, especially inthe lowest-income countries where these differences are most pronounced, and shouldconsider the potentially harsher short-term effects of economic austerity measures on womento avoid exacerbating gender inequalities.
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