Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP15736
Authors: Arash Nekoei; Fabian Sinn
Abstract: We document the evolution of women's status across the globe and throughout recorded history. We first construct a new database of seven million notable individuals (Human Biographical Record). We then measure women's status as women's share among the most prominent fraction of population that allows comparison across time and space. The records show no long-run trend in women's share in recorded history. Historically, women's power has been a side-effect of nepotism: the more important family connections, the higher the women's share. But self-made women began to rise among the writers in the 17th century before a broader take off started with the 1800 birth cohort: first among artists and scholars, followed by elected politicians, and finally appointed politicians. The first wave among writers emerged when informal humanist education and new public spheres shaped a supply of literary women, who met the demand of a new female reading public. A strong writer wave predicts a stronger takeoff of self-made women in the 19th century. This effect has persisted and created cross-country divergence.
Keywords: Women; Emancipation; Big Data
JEL Codes: J16; N00; I24
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Women's power historically has been a side effect of nepotism (J16) | Women's representation among the prominent (J16) |
| As family connections became less critical in political and social spheres (J12) | Self-made women began to rise in prominence (J16) |
| Increased educational opportunities for women (I24) | Rise in prominence of self-made women (Y92) |
| Higher share of early literary women in regions (N93) | More pronounced increase in self-made women in later centuries (N93) |
| Presence of feminist movements (B54) | Evolution of women's status (J16) |
| Improved legal rights for women (K38) | Evolution of women's status (J16) |