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Are UNDP Indices Appropriate to Capture Gender Inequalities in Europe?

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  • Iñaki Permanyer

Abstract

This study critically investigates the suitability of United Nations’ composite indices and other related measures—among which the Gender Inequality Index just released in 2010—to capture gender inequalities in the context of “highly developed” countries, focusing on the case of Europe. Our results indicate that many of the gender gaps in health and education variables have either vanished or even reversed, thus questioning their appropriateness to capture women’s disadvantage in Europe and inviting to construct region-specific measures. Alternatively, parliamentary representation and labor force participation are variables with large gender gaps that highlight important dimensions where women disadvantage prevails. Different cross-section and cross-time associations between economic growth and gender equality are generally not statistically significant—or at most weakly correlated—at European level. This is basically due to the fact that the gender gaps included in UNDP gender-related indices reached their normatively desirable values long ago, therefore leaving no room for further improvement. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2013

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  • Iñaki Permanyer, 2013. "Are UNDP Indices Appropriate to Capture Gender Inequalities in Europe?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 110(3), pages 927-950, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:110:y:2013:i:3:p:927-950
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-011-9975-6
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    3. C. Cascella & J. Williams & M. Pampaka, 2022. "An Extended Regional Gender Gaps Index (eRGGI): Comparative Measurement of Gender Equality at Different Levels of Regionality," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 159(2), pages 757-800, January.
    4. Lorraine Eden & M. Fernanda Wagstaff, 2021. "Evidence-based policymaking and the wicked problem of SDG 5 Gender Equality," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 4(1), pages 28-57, March.
    5. Lorraine Eden & M. Fernanda Wagstaff, 0. "Evidence-based policymaking and the wicked problem of SDG 5 Gender Equality," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 0, pages 1-30.
    6. Lekha Chakraborty & Marian Ingrams & Yadawendra Singh, 2019. "Macroeconomic Policy Effectiveness and Inequality: Efficacy of Gender Budgeting in Asia Pacific," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_920, Levy Economics Institute.
    7. Astha Kushwaha & Brinda Viswanathan, 2024. "Multidimensional Inequality Index among Indian Women," Working Papers 2024-258, Madras School of Economics,Chennai,India.
    8. Cerioli Sara & Formozov Andrey, 2024. "More on the Influence of Gender Equality on Gender Differences in Economic Preferences," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 244(1-2), pages 131-148, February.

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