Working Paper: NBER ID: w30367
Authors: Jos de Sousa; Muriel Niederle
Abstract: The introduction of a quota in the French chess Club Championship in 1990, an activity many players engage in next to playing in individual tournaments, provides a quite unique environment to study its effects on three levels. We find that women selected by the quota improve their performance. We show large spillover and trickle-down effects: There are more and better qualified women. International comparisons confirm that the results are unique to France and that there are no substantial adverse effects on French male players. We discuss the properties of this quota and how to implement it in other environments.
Keywords: Affirmative Action; Gender Quotas; Chess; Performance Measurement; Spillover Effects
JEL Codes: J16
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Quota (D45) | Performance of selected women (J16) |
| Quota (D45) | Overall pool of female players (Z22) |
| Quota (D45) | Number of elite female chess players (C72) |
| Quota (D45) | Performance metrics of male players (Z22) |
| Quota (D45) | Performance changes over time and across genders (J16) |