The Economics of Gender Equality and Development

This course shows how an economics lens can be useful in understanding disparities in gender outcomes; how these disparities evolve over the development process; why closing gender gaps matters for development; and the roles of public policies and private action. Among the outcomes examined are human capital, access to economic opportunities, and agency or the ability to make choices and take actions. We will use the tools of economics think about how individuals and families make decisions, respond to opportunities generated by markets, and are affected by the parameters outlined by both formal and informal institutions and social norms.