Historical gender discrimination does not explain comparative Western European development: evidence from Portugal, 1300-1900

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2023-04

Authors

Palma, Nuno (Author) Other; Reis, Jaime (Author) Other; Rodrigues, Lisbeth (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Explorations in Economic History

Serial No. Art. 101481 Vol. 88

ISSN: 0014-4983

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

Scopus

Other information

DOI: 10.1016/j.eeh.2022.101481

Abstract (EN): Gender discrimination has been pointed out as a determining factor behind the long-run divergence in incomes of Southern vis-à-vis Northwestern Europe. In this paper, we show that women in Portugal were not historically more discriminated against than those in other parts of Western Europe, including England and the Netherlands. We rely on a new dataset of thousands of observations from archival sources covering six centuries, and we complement it with a qualitative discussion of comparative social norms. Compared with Northwestern Europe, women in Portugal faced similar gender wage gaps, married at similar ages, and did not face more restrictions on labor market participation. Consequently, other factors must have been responsible for the Little Divergence of Western European incomes.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 15