State Policies and Women's Autonomy in China, India, and the Republic of Korea, 1950-2000 : Lessons from Contrasting Experiences

Das Gupta, Monica ; Lee, Sunhwa ; Uberoi, Patricia ; Wang, Danning ; Wang, Lihong ; Zhang, Xiaodan

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: AGING;    AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION;    AGRICULTURE;    ALCOHOL;    ARRANGED MARRIAGES;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-2497
RP-ID  :  WPS2497

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

The authors compare changes in genderroles and women's empowerment in China, India, and theRepublic of Korea. Around 1950, these newly formed stateswere largely poor and agrarian, with common cultural factorsthat placed similar severe constraints on women'sautonomy. They adopted very different paths of development,which are well known to have profoundly affected developmentoutcomes. These choices have also had a tremendous impact ongender outcomes, and today these countries show strikingdifferences in the extent of gender equity achieved. Chinahas achieved the most gender equity, the Republic of Koreathe least. The authors conclude that: a) States can exertenormous influence over gender equity. They can mitigatecultural constraints on women's autonomy (as in Chinaand India) or slow the pace of change in gender equitydespite women's rapid integration into education,formal employment, and urbanization (as in the Republic ofKorea). b) The impact of policies to provide opportunitiesfor women's empowerment can be greatly enhanced ifaccompanied by communication efforts to alter culturalvalues that place heavy constraints on women's accessto those opportunities.