Event Title
Gender Inequality, Human Development and Fertility
Faculty Sponsor
Jeff Summers
Location
Jereld R. Nicholson Library
Date
5-13-2011 3:00 PM
End Date
5-13-2011 4:30 PM
Subject Area
Economics (applied)
Description
This paper analyzes the effects on a country’s total fertility rate of changes in gender inequality and human development. Human development is empirically measured by the Human Development Index (HDI), which is calculated using life expectancy, average earned income, and mean years of schooling. Gender inequality is measured by the Gender-Related Development Index (GDI). The GDI measures a country’s inequalities between men and women in the areas of health, knowledge, and standard of living. Using a panel data set that includes 165 countries, the effects on the total fertility rate of changes in HDI, GDI, and their components are estimated. We find that improvements in HDI and GDI both reduce a country’s total fertility rate. Of particular interest is the result that advancements in female literacy rates and female life expectancy are able to lower fertility rates in a more effective manner than do improvements in male literacy rates and average male life expectancy, holding all else constant.
Recommended Citation
Callender, Samantha, "Gender Inequality, Human Development and Fertility" (2011). Science and Social Sciences. Event. Submission 26.
https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/studsymp_sci/2011/all/26
Gender Inequality, Human Development and Fertility
Jereld R. Nicholson Library
This paper analyzes the effects on a country’s total fertility rate of changes in gender inequality and human development. Human development is empirically measured by the Human Development Index (HDI), which is calculated using life expectancy, average earned income, and mean years of schooling. Gender inequality is measured by the Gender-Related Development Index (GDI). The GDI measures a country’s inequalities between men and women in the areas of health, knowledge, and standard of living. Using a panel data set that includes 165 countries, the effects on the total fertility rate of changes in HDI, GDI, and their components are estimated. We find that improvements in HDI and GDI both reduce a country’s total fertility rate. Of particular interest is the result that advancements in female literacy rates and female life expectancy are able to lower fertility rates in a more effective manner than do improvements in male literacy rates and average male life expectancy, holding all else constant.