Bogdana Rusu, AncaHallward-Driemeier, MaryHasan, Tazeen2013-11-262013-11-262013-09https://hdl.handle.net/10986/16318This study uses a newly compiled database of women's property rights and legal capacity covering 100 countries over 50 years to test for the impact of legal reforms on employment, health, and education outcomes for women and girls. The database demonstrates gender gaps in the ability to access and own property, sign legal documents in one's own name, and have equality or non-discrimination as a guiding principle of the country's constitution. In the initial period, 75 countries had gender gaps in at least one of these areas and often multiple ones. By 2010, 57 countries had made reforms that strengthened women's economic rights, including 28 countries that had eliminated all of the constraints monitored here. In the cross-section and within countries over time, the removal of gender gaps in rights is associated with greater participation of women in the labor force, greater movement out of agricultural employment, higher rates of women in wage employment, lower adolescent fertility, lower maternal and infant mortality, and higher female educational enrollment. This paper provides evidence on how the strengthening of women's legal rights is associated with important development outcomes.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOaccess to bank accountsAccess to Capitalaccess to contraceptivesaccess to financeadolescent fertilityadult literacyage at marriageage of marriageagricultural sectorArmed Conflictarmed conflictsbank accountbank accountsbank loanbargainingbargaining powerchildbirthcitizencitizenscivil lawCivil WarCodescollateralcommon lawconstitutionscontraceptionContraceptive prevalencecorruptioncourtcourtsCredit Accesscredit constraintscrimecriminalcustomary lawDeveloping CountriesDevelopment Economicsdevelopment policydiscriminationdivorcedomestic violenceeconomic activitieseconomic activityeconomic benefitsEconomic DevelopmentEconomic EmpowermentEconomic Growtheconomic opportunitiesEconomic Policyeconomic rightsEconomicseducational attainmentemployeeemployeremployersemployment opportunitiesEmpowering Womenempowermentenrollmentequal accessequal rightsequal rights for womenequalityequality before the lawfamily lawFarmersfemalefemale Accessfemale employmentfemale populationfemalesfertility ratefinancial supportfirst marriageForeign lawformal financial institutiongenderGender DifferentialsGender DisparitiesGender Equalitygender gapgender gapsGender Lawgender paritygender rightsglobal developmentgreater accessgross domestic producthead of householdhealth carehomehousehold investmenthousehold surveyshousehold WorkHuman CapitalHuman Rightshusbandhusbandsimmovable propertyincomeincome categoriesincome groupsinequalityinfantinfant healthinfant mortalityInfant mortality rateInformal Economyinheritanceinheritance rightsInternational BankInternational Food Policy Research Institutelabor forcelabor force participationLabor Marketlabor market indicatorsLabor Marketslabor supplyLabourLand Banksland rightsLaw Reformlawslegal agelegal agreementslegal capacitylegal pluralismlegal reformlegal reformsLegal Rightslegal statusLegal Systemslegislationlegislatorslevel of developmentlevels of educationlife expectancyliteracylive birthsloanlow-income countriesmarital propertymarital statusmarriage agemarried couplesmarried manmarried womanmaternal mortalityMaternal mortality rationatural resourcenatural resourcesnewbornnumber of birthsnumber of womenoccupationsoutputsownership rightsparliamentary seatsParliamentary Unionparticipation of womenPeacePersonal StatusPersonal Status lawspolicy discussionsPolicy MakersPolicy ResearchPolicy Research Working PaperPolitical Economypolitical leadershippolitical participationPractitionerspregnancyprimary educationprimary schoolprinciple of equalityproductivityprogressproperty ownershipProperty rightproperty rightsRatio of womenreal estaterecognition of rightsreform lawsreligious lawrule of lawRule_of_Lawrural populationssanctionsecondary educationsecondary schoolSelf employedSelf employed workersself-employmentsexsexual partnerssexual violenceSmall Businessspousespousesstart-upstertiary educationtertiary levelTreatiesunmarried menunmarried womenunpaid family workersvirtual librarieswifewillwiveswomanwomen in parliamentyoung adultWorld Bank10.1596/1813-9450-6617