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Gender Equality and Fertility: Which Equality Matters?

Author

Listed:
  • Gerda Neyer

    (Stockholm University)

  • Trude Lappegård

    (Statistics Norway)

  • Daniele Vignoli

    (University of Florence)

Abstract

Does gender equality matter for fertility? Demographic findings on this issue are rather inconclusive. We argue that one reason for this is that the complexity of the concept of gender equality has received insufficient attention. Gender equality needs to be conceptualized in a manner that goes beyond perceiving it as mere “sameness of distribution”. It needs to include notions of gender equity and thus to allow for distinguishing between gender difference and gender inequality. We sketch three dimensions of gender equality related to employment, financial resources, and family work, which incorporate this understanding: (1) the ability to maintain a household; (2) agency and the capability to choose; and (3) gender equity in household and care work. We explore their impact on childbearing intentions of women and men using the European Generations and Gender Surveys. Our results confirm the need for a more nuanced notion of gender equality in studies on the relationship between gender equality on fertility. They show that there is no uniform effect of gender equality on childbearing intentions, but that the impact varies by gender and by parity.

Suggested Citation

  • Gerda Neyer & Trude Lappegård & Daniele Vignoli, 2013. "Gender Equality and Fertility: Which Equality Matters?," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 29(3), pages 245-272, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eurpop:v:29:y:2013:i:3:d:10.1007_s10680-013-9292-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s10680-013-9292-7
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    3. Hubert Pinto, 2023. "Relationship between Gender Roles and Marital Stability among Couples in Selected Counties of Kenya," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(10), pages 1629-1647, October.
    4. d’Albis, Hippolyte & Gobbi, Paula E. & Greulich, Angela, 2017. "Having A Second Child And Access To Childcare: Evidence From European Countries," Journal of Demographic Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 83(2), pages 177-210, June.
    5. Branislav Šprocha, 2022. "Growing Childlessness and One‐Child Families in Slovakia in the Shadow of Fragile Pronatalism," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 10(3), pages 100-111.
    6. Begoña Elizalde-San Miguel & Vicente Díaz Gandasegui & María T. Sanz, 2023. "Growing Pains: Can Family Policies Revert the Decline of Fertility in Spain?," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(1), pages 269-281.
    7. Christos Bagavos, 2017. "Do different educational pairings lead to different fertility outcomes? A cohort perspective for the Greek case," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 15(1), pages 215-237.
    8. Francesca Giambona & Laura Grassini & Daniele Vignoli, 2022. "Detecting economic insecurity in Italy: a latent transition modelling approach," Statistical Methods & Applications, Springer;Società Italiana di Statistica, vol. 31(4), pages 815-846, October.
    9. Yin, Hua-Tang & Chang, Chun-Ping & Anugrah, Donni Fajar & Gunadi, Iman, 2023. "Gender equality and central bank independence," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 661-672.
    10. Angela Greulich & Olivier Thevenon & Mathilde Guergoat-Larivière, 2016. "Securing women's employment: A fertility booster in European countries?," Post-Print hal-01298862, HAL.
    11. Daniela Bellani & Bruno Arpino & Daniele Vignoli, 2021. "Time preferences and fertility: Evidence from Italy," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 44(50), pages 1185-1228.
    12. Camilla Matera & Lars Dommermuth & Silvia Bacci & Bruno Bertaccini & Alessandra Minello & Daniele Vignoli, 2023. "Perceived Economic Uncertainty and Fertility Intentions in Couples: A Dyadic Extension of the Theory of Planned Behaviour," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(4), pages 790-806, December.
    13. Hubert Pinto, 2023. "Relationship between Gender Roles and Marital Stability among Couples in Selected Counties of Kenya," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(8), pages 1417-1434, August.
    14. Zhiyun Li & Hualei Yang & Xianchen Zhu & Lin Xie, 2021. "A Multilevel Study of the Impact of Egalitarian Attitudes Toward Gender Roles on Fertility Desires in China," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 40(4), pages 747-769, August.
    15. Kamila Ishchanova, 2022. "Home Alone: Exploring Childcare Options to Remove Barriers to Second Childbearing in Belarus," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 10(3), pages 112-123.

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