Gender Inequality in Social Institutions and Gendered Development Outcomes

We examine the effect of social institutions related to gender inequality on development outcomes. By characterizing and applying the recently developed Social Institution and Gender Index (SIGI) and its sub-components, we show how social institutions related to gender inequality are associated with female education, child mortality, fertility, and governance (corruption) in developing countries, even when controlling for other socioeconomic and cultural factors. Policies focusing on affecting gendered development outcomes need to consider inequalities in social institutions as a constraint and consider promoting ways to reduce gender inequalities in social institutions.