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Faustine Perrin . Photo

Faustine Perrin

Senior lecturer

Faustine Perrin . Photo

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

Author

  • Faustine Perrin
  • Tobias Karlsson
  • Joris Kok

Summary, in English

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.

Department/s

  • Historical labour markets
  • Growth, technological change, and inequality
  • Economic demography
  • Department of Economic History
  • Centre for Economic Demography

Publishing year

2023-10-30

Language

English

Pages

943-980

Publication/Series

Journal of Economic History

Volume

83

Issue

4

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Topic

  • Economic History

Keywords

  • gender equality
  • gender gap
  • labour market
  • health
  • political representation
  • women
  • Sweden
  • ninteenth century
  • twentieth century

Status

Published

Project

  • Female Empowerment and Economic Growth: The Case of Sweden 1749-2016

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0022-0507