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Gender in Language and Gender in Employment

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  • Astghik Mavisakalyan

Abstract

Women lag behind men in many domains. Feminists have proposed that sex-based grammatical gender systems in languages reinforce traditional conceptions of gender roles, which in turn contribute to disadvantaging women. This article evaluates the empirical plausibility of this claim in the context of the labour market outcomes of women. Based on a sample of over 100 countries, the analysis shows that places where the majority language is gender-intensive have lower participation rates of women in the labour force. Individual level estimates further underscore this finding and indicate a higher prevalence of genderdiscriminatory attitudes among speakers of gender-intensive languages.

Suggested Citation

  • Astghik Mavisakalyan, 2011. "Gender in Language and Gender in Employment," ANU Working Papers in Economics and Econometrics 2011-563, Australian National University, College of Business and Economics, School of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:acb:cbeeco:2011-563
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    File URL: https://www.cbe.anu.edu.au/researchpapers/econ/wp563.pdf
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • Z10 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - General

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