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Historical gender discrimination does not explain comparative Western European development: Evidence from Portugal, 1300 - 1900

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  • Palma, Nuno

    (University of Manchester; ICS, Universidade de Lisboa; CEPR & CAGE)

  • Reis, Jaime

    (ICS, Universidade de Lisboa)

  • Rodrigues, Lisbeth

    (ISEG, Universidade de Lisboa)

Abstract

Gender discrimination has been pointed out as a determining factor behind the long-run divergence in incomes of Southern vis-Ã -vis Northwestern Europe. In this paper, we show that there is no evidence that women in Portugal were historically more discriminated against than those of other parts of Western Europe, including England and the Netherlands. We rely on a new dataset of thousands of observations from archival sources which cover six centuries, and we complement it with a qualitative discussion of comparative social norms. Compared with Northwestern Europe, women in Portugal faced similar gender wage gaps, married at similar ages, and did not face more restrictions to labor market participation. Consequently, other factors must be responsible for the Little Divergence of Western European incomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Palma, Nuno & Reis, Jaime & Rodrigues, Lisbeth, 2021. "Historical gender discrimination does not explain comparative Western European development: Evidence from Portugal, 1300 - 1900," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 551, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    • Handle: RePEc:cge:wacage:551
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    Cited by:

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    2. Kumon, Yuzuru & Sakai, Kazuho, 2022. "Women's Wages and Empowerment : Pre-industrial Japan, 1600-1890," CEI Working Paper Series 2022-05, Center for Economic Institutions, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    3. Kumon, Yuzuru & Sakai, Kazuho, 2022. "Women’s Wages and Empowerment: Pre-industrial Japan, 1600-1890," Discussion Paper Series in Economics 18/2022, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Economics.
    4. Humphries, Jane & Schneider, Benjamin, 2021. "Gender equality, growth, and how a technological trap destroyed female work," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 118295, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Historical gender discrimination; gender wage gap; culture; social norms; comparative development; the Little Divergence; European Marriage Pattern. JEL Classification: N13; N33; J16;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N13 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • N33 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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