Gender and Macroeconomic Policy

This report aims to show how
macroeconomic policies create differential opportunities for
women and men. This volume comprises nine chapters covering
four broad themes: gender as a category of analysis in
macroeconomics; the implications of gender for macroeconomic
aggregates, in particular consumption and economic growth;
the role of gender in the labor market, globalization, and
access to credit; and gender budgeting. Chapters one and two
address the first theme. Chapter one focuses on the
macroeconomic cost to growth and development that arises
from rigid gender roles and associated gender asymmetries.
Chapter two documents the progress made in gender
mainstreaming by highlighting developments in data
collection and monitoring that have moved beyond simply
disaggregating data by male and female. Chapters three and
four cover the second theme. Chapter three considers the
role of gender relations in the macroeconomic aggregates of
consumption, savings, investment, and government expenditure
and the implications for macroeconomic policy in these
areas. Chapter four examines gender relations and economic
growth. Chapters five through seven focus on the third
theme. Chapter five examines the labor market. Chapter six
examines how globalization affects gender relations,
particularly employment. Chapter seven concentrates on
women's access to finance and documents gender
asymmetries in this market. Chapter eight, on the fourth
theme, highlights the impact fiscal policies have on gender
relations. It documents how policy can be made more gender
specific and reports on the progress made by countries that
have adopted gender-responsive government budgeting. Chapter
nine summarizes what is known about gender and macroeconomic
policy, noting areas in which the literature is well
developed as well as areas that require further research and study.