Despite women’s rapid advances in education and the converging roles of men and women in society, gender differences in the labor market remain remarkably persistent. Gender inequality does not only harm women’s personal well-being but is also costly for society as a whole. Discrimination in the labor market and other barriers that prevent women from reaching their full potential hurt aggregate income and productivity.

This course investigates the factors that contribute to persistent gender disparities in the labor market, with a special focus on underexplored determinants such as gender norms and identity, social influences, workplace flexibility, and gender differences in psychological attributes. We will examine the design and effectiveness of a variety of public and corporate policies in reducing gender inequality, such as parental leave policies and board quotas.

The course will cover several empirical approaches used in the literature: event study analysis, field and laboratory experiments, among others