1. Learning Objective: I can explain why development varies by gender.
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2. Why Does Development Vary by Gender?
Gender Inequality Measures
UN created the Gender Inequality Index (GII) that is based on multiple metrics.
Empowerment
Defined: Ability of women to achieve improvements in status.
Percentage of seats held by women in the national legislature.
Percentage of women who have completed high school.
Labor Force
Female labor force participation rate defined as percentage of women holding full-time jobs outside the home.
Highest in developed countries.
Reproductive Health
Maternal mortality ratio
Adolescent fertility rate
The UN has not found a single country in the world where the women are treated as well as the men. At best, women have achieved near-equality with men in some countries.
UN argues that inequality among men and women is a major factor that keeps a country from achieving a higher level of development.
Both maternal mortality ratio and adolescent fertility rates are lowest in developed countries.
GII scores range from 0 (equality) to 1 (inequality).

3. FIGURE 9-17 GENDER INEQUALITY INDEX (GII) The lowest GII numbers and therefore the least inequality are in Europe, and the highest numbers are in sub-Saharan Africa.

4. FIGURE 9-18 EMPOWERMENT : WOMEN IN THE NATIONAL LEGISLATURE The highest numbers of women in national legislature are in Europe, and the lowest numbers are in Southwest Asia & North Africa.
Women in U.S. Congress US Congress In 2015, 104 (76D, 28R) women hold seats in the United States Congress, comprising19.4% of the 535 members; 20 women (20%) serve in the United States Senate, and 84 women (19.3%) serve in the United States House of Representatives.

5. FIGURE 9-19 EMPOWERMENT : WOMEN GRADUDATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL A figure above 1 means that more girls than boys graduate from high school.

6. FIGURE 9-20 FEMALE LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION A lower number means that relatively few women participate in the labor force.

7. FIGURE 9-21 MATERNAL MORTALITY RATIO The maternal mortality ratio is the number of deaths of mothers in childbirth compared to the number of live births.

8. FIGURE 9-22 ADOLESCENT FERTILITY RATE The adolescent fertility rate is the number of births per women per 1,000 women ages 15 to 19.

9. Why Does Development Vary by Gender?
Gender Inequality Trends
UN asserts gender inequality has declined in nearly every country since the 1990s.
Greatest improvements in Southwest Asia and North Africa.
U.S. is one of few developed countries where the GII has increased.
Reproductive rights much lower in U.S. compared to other very high HDI countries.
Percentage of women in the national legislature is relatively lower than other high HDI countries.