Family, Gender Inequality and Growth: History Matters

The family is a key socio-economic unit in society. The nature of its organization is shaped by cultural values and gender norms that change slowly over time. This implies that history matters in the sense that social institutions (e.g. the family, values, norms) tend to reproduce themselves over time, revealing a certain inability to make the necessary adjustments to new challenges. This chapter argues that in familistic societies—where family ties are strongly rooted in traditional values and gender norms—women bear the burden of unpaid work, with negative effects in terms of both gender equity and fertility decisions. Moreover, economic growth—hence more job opportunities for women—tends to be constrained in societies where the family still plays a strong economic role (i.e. there is a disproportionally large share of small family firms).