There have been few systematic cross-national studies of global changes in women’s status and gender inequality over time. Our study analyzes and further develops a new set of data on women’s status and gender inequality to evaluate the cross-sectional relationship between economic growth and these variables, as well as the cross-national, longitudinal impact of economic growth on changes in women’s status and gender inequality. The findings reported in this article address key questions in the evolving debate over the character of gender differentiation and the goals of women’s empowerment. Have strategies of economic growth in recent decades served to enhance or undermine the status of women? Are changes in the status of women accompanied by significant changes in gender inequality? What are the implications for existing debates? These are the key issues addressed in this article.
