Gender, Poverty and Economic Growth: Public Policies for Different Demographic Situations

Mayra Buvinic, World Bank Group
Monica Das Gupta, World Bank Group
Ursula Casabonne, World Bank Group

Much has been written on gender inequalities and how they affect fertility and mortality outcomes on the one hand and economic outcomes on the other. What is not well understood is the role that gender inequalities, embedded in the behavior of the family, the market and/or society, play in mediating the impact of demographic processes on economic outcomes. This paper examines the empirical evidence on possible economic impacts of gender inequalities that work through exacerbating demographic stresses associated with different demographic scenarios and/or reducing the prospects of gains when demographic conditions improve. It defines four demographic scenarios and discusses which public policies are more effective in the different scenarios in reducing the constraints that gender inequality imposes on poverty reduction and economic growth.