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How Are Gender Norms Perceived?

Author

Listed:
  • Leonardo Bursztyn
  • Alexander W. Cappelen
  • Bertil Tungodden
  • Alessandra Voena
  • David H. Yanagizawa-Drott

Abstract

This paper provides global evidence on misperceptions of gender norms, drawing on newly collected, nationally representative data from 60 countries. We establish that misperceptions are pervasive across the world. Through a simple conceptual framework, we provide evidence that gender stereotyping and overweighting of minority views are ubiquitous and appear to account for the global structure of misperceptions. Both actual and perceived support are shown to be associated with relevant economic behaviors, including female employment and actions promoting women’s representation in leadership. Our paper suggests that misperceptions are ubiquitous and may shape gender inequality globally.

Suggested Citation

  • Leonardo Bursztyn & Alexander W. Cappelen & Bertil Tungodden & Alessandra Voena & David H. Yanagizawa-Drott, 2023. "How Are Gender Norms Perceived?," NBER Working Papers 31049, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:31049
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    Cited by:

    1. Boneva, Teodora & Golin, Marta & Kaufmann, Katja Maria & Rauh, Christopher, 2022. "Beliefs about Maternal Labor Supply," IZA Discussion Papers 15788, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Cai, Huan & Dong, Lu & Xie, Jian, 2025. "The Digital Second Shift: Gender Gap in Parenting App Usage in China," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 765, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    3. Guizzo Altube, Matías & Scartascini, Carlos, 2024. "Gender-Based Research and Interviewer Effects: Evidence for Latin America and the Caribbean," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 13475, Inter-American Development Bank.
    4. Felix Rusche, 2025. "Broadcasting Change: India’s Community Radio Policy and Women’s Empowerment," Discussion Paper Series of the Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Economics 2025_05, Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Economics.
    5. World Bank, 2024. "Women, Business and the Law 2024 [Les Femmes, l’Entreprise et le Droit 2024]," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 41040, April.
    6. Henning Hermes & Marina Krauß & Philipp Lergetporer & Frauke Peter & Simon Wiederhold, 2024. "The Causal Impact of Gender Norms on Mothers’ Employment Attitudes and Expectations," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1216, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    7. Getik, Demid & Islam, Marco & Samahita, Margaret, 2024. "The inelastic demand for affirmative action," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    8. Poblete-Cazenave, Rubén & V., Claudia Martínez, 2025. "Holi crimes: The impact of a public festivity on violence against women," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    9. Boring, Anne & Delfgaauw, Josse, 2024. "Social desirability bias in attitudes towards sexism and DEI policies in the workplace," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 465-482.
    10. Sabrina Herzog & Hannah Schildberg-Hörisch & Chi Trieu & Jana Willrodt, 2023. "Who Is in Favor of Affirmative Action? Representative Evidence from an Experiment and a Survey," CESifo Working Paper Series 10822, CESifo.
    11. Lergetporer, Philipp & Rittmannsberger, Thomas & Werner, Katharina & Zeidler, Helen, 2025. "Anchoring Effects in the Elicitation of Multidimensional Beliefs: Evidence from a Representative Survey Experiment," IZA Discussion Papers 17931, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Henning Hermes & Marina Krauß & Philipp Lergetporer & Frauke Peter & Simon Wiederhold, 2025. "The Causal Impact of Gender Norms on Mothers’ Employment Attitudes and Expectations," Working Papers 2024-024, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    13. Lago, Manuel E. & Samahita, Margaret & Doyle, Orla, 2025. "Unraveling gender norms: Social and personal norms in the preferential promotion of women," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    14. Assaad, Ragui & Krafft, Caroline, 2024. "Connecting People to Projects : A New Approach to Measuring Women’s Employment in the Middle East and North Africa," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10659, The World Bank.
    15. Cameron, Lisa & Suarez, Diana Contreras & Setyonaluri, Diahhadi, 2024. "Leveraging Women’s Views to Influence Gender Norms around Women Working : Evidence from an Online Intervention in Indonesia," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10681, The World Bank.
    16. Joanne Haddad & Lamis Kattan, 2024. "Female-Specific Labor Regulation and Employment: Historical Evidence from the United States," CESifo Working Paper Series 11546, CESifo.
    17. Herzog, Sabrina & Schildberg-Hörisch, Hannah & Trieu, Chi & Willrodt, Jana, 2023. "Who is in favor of affirmative action? Representative evidence from an experiment and a survey," DICE Discussion Papers 409, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    18. Olivetti, Claudia & Pan, Jessica & Petrongolo, Barbara, 2024. "The evolution of gender in the labor market," Handbook of Labor Economics,, Elsevier.
    19. Claudia Martínez V. & Rubén Poblete-Cazenave, 2024. "Holi Crimes," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 24-041/V, Tinbergen Institute.
    20. Deparade, Darius & Jarmolinski, Lennart & Mohr, Peter, 2025. "Behavioral interventions, tax compliance and consequences on inequality," Discussion Papers 2025/4, Free University Berlin, School of Business & Economics.
    21. Gema Lax-Martinez & Marco Le Moglie & Matteo Sandi, 2025. "Educated to Be Mothers? School Reform and Demographic Backlash," CESifo Working Paper Series 12251, CESifo.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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