Culture, Gender, and Labor Force Participation: Evidence from Colombia

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Galindo-Silva, Hector, Herrera-Idárraga, Paula
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2023
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author Galindo-Silva, Hector
Herrera-Idárraga, Paula
author_facet Galindo-Silva, Hector
Herrera-Idárraga, Paula
contents This study investigates the impact of integrating gender equality into the Colombian constitution of 1991 on attitudes towards gender equality, experiences of gender-based discrimination, and labor market participation. Using a difference-in-discontinuities framework, we compare individuals exposed to mandatory high school courses on the Constitution with those who were not exposed. Our findings show a significant increase in labor market participation, primarily driven by women. Exposure to these courses also shapes attitudes towards gender equality, with men demonstrating greater support. Women report experiencing less gender-based discrimination. Importantly, our results suggest that women's increased labor market participation is unlikely due to reduced barriers from male partners. A disparity in opinions regarding traditional gender norms concerning household domains is observed between men and women, highlighting an ongoing power struggle within the home. However, the presence of a younger woman in the household appears to influence men's more positive view of gender equality, potentially indicating a desire to empower younger women in their future lives. These findings highlight the crucial role of cultural shocks and the constitutional inclusion of women's rights in shaping labor market dynamics.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2307_08869
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Culture, Gender, and Labor Force Participation: Evidence from Colombia
Galindo-Silva, Hector
Herrera-Idárraga, Paula
General Economics
Economics
This study investigates the impact of integrating gender equality into the Colombian constitution of 1991 on attitudes towards gender equality, experiences of gender-based discrimination, and labor market participation. Using a difference-in-discontinuities framework, we compare individuals exposed to mandatory high school courses on the Constitution with those who were not exposed. Our findings show a significant increase in labor market participation, primarily driven by women. Exposure to these courses also shapes attitudes towards gender equality, with men demonstrating greater support. Women report experiencing less gender-based discrimination. Importantly, our results suggest that women's increased labor market participation is unlikely due to reduced barriers from male partners. A disparity in opinions regarding traditional gender norms concerning household domains is observed between men and women, highlighting an ongoing power struggle within the home. However, the presence of a younger woman in the household appears to influence men's more positive view of gender equality, potentially indicating a desire to empower younger women in their future lives. These findings highlight the crucial role of cultural shocks and the constitutional inclusion of women's rights in shaping labor market dynamics.
title Culture, Gender, and Labor Force Participation: Evidence from Colombia
topic General Economics
Economics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.08869