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Guys and Gals Going for Gold

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  • Aaron Lowen
  • Robert O. Deaner
  • Erika Schmitt

Abstract

We test the hypothesis that women’s empowerment correlates with women’s international athletic success. Greater gender equality (measured using the Gender Inequality Index) is associated with higher participation and medal counts in the Summer Olympic Games from 1996 through 2012. This relationship persists even after controlling for previously identified nation-level predictors of Olympic success and across alternative measures of success (such as shares of the total, percentage within each country, and medals per athlete). These results provide direct evidence for the long-standing claim that girls’ and women’s international athletic achievement is linked to women’s empowerment.

Suggested Citation

  • Aaron Lowen & Robert O. Deaner & Erika Schmitt, 2016. "Guys and Gals Going for Gold," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 17(3), pages 260-285, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:jospec:v:17:y:2016:i:3:p:260-285
    DOI: 10.1177/1527002514531791
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Marcus Noland & Kevin Stahler, 2017. "An Old Boys Club No More," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 18(5), pages 506-536, June.
    2. Johan Rewilak, 2021. "The (non) determinants of Olympic success," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 22(5), pages 546-570, June.
    3. Schlembach, Christoph & Schmidt, Sascha L. & Schreyer, Dominik & Wunderlich, Linus, 2022. "Forecasting the Olympic medal distribution – A socioeconomic machine learning model," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    4. Alexandre de Cássio Rodrigues & Carlos Alberto Gonçalves & Tiago Silveira Gontijo, 2019. "A two-stage DEA model to evaluate the efficiency of countries at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 39(2), pages 1538-1545.
    5. Martin Grancay & Tomas Dudas, 2018. "Olympic Medals, Economy, Geography and Politics from Sydney to Rio," Iranian Economic Review (IER), Faculty of Economics,University of Tehran.Tehran,Iran, vol. 22(2), pages 409-441, Spring.
    6. Julia Bredtmann & Carsten J. Crede & Sebastian Otten, 2014. "The Effect of Gender Equality on International Soccer Performance," University of East Anglia Applied and Financial Economics Working Paper Series 065, School of Economics, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK..
    7. Marcus Noland & Kevin Stahler, 2016. "Asian Participation and Performance at the Olympic Games," Asian Economic Policy Review, Japan Center for Economic Research, vol. 11(1), pages 70-90, January.
    8. Todd B. Potts, 2022. "Does it pay to Play by the Rules? Respect for Rule of law, Control of Corruption, and National Success at the Summer Olympics," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 23(2), pages 222-245, February.
    9. Marcus Noland & Kevin Stahler, 2016. "What Goes into a Medal: Women's Inclusion and Success at the Olympic Games," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 97(2), pages 177-196, June.
    10. Nicolas Scelles & Wladimir Andreff & Liliane Bonnal & Madeleine Andreff & Pascal Favard, 2020. "Forecasting National Medal Totals at the Summer Olympic Games Reconsidered," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 101(2), pages 697-711, March.
    11. Marcus Noland, 2016. "Russian Doping in Sports," Working Paper Series WP16-4, Peterson Institute for International Economics.
    12. Callison, Kevin & Lowen, Aaron, 2022. "The long-run effects of adolescent athletic participation on women’s health," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 44(C).
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