Gender and Assets

Cheryl Doss, Yale University

Is there a gender-asset gap? Does it matter? How do we understand the causes and

consequences of the gender-asset gap?

Gender-land gap

COUNTRY/YEAR

WOMEN MEN COUPLE TOTAL SAMPLE

Brazil(2000)

11% 89% N/A 100% 39,904

Honduras (2001)

26% 74% N/A 100% 808

Mexico (2002)

22% 78 N/A 100% 2.9 m.

Nicaragua (2000)

22% 78 N/A 100% 2,474

Paraguay (2001)

27% 70 3 100% 1,694

Peru (2000)

13 74 13 100% 1,923

US Gender-Asset Gap Over Time

1860: Women 6% of asset owners, owned 7% of wealth (census data)

1922: Women 25% owners, 25% of wealth 1953: Women 33% owners,39% of wealth

(estate tax returns) 1969: Women 43% owners, of 43% wealth

(estate tax returns; top 4% population)

The gender-asset gap: Evidence UK: Gender distribution of pension wealth (women

own 29%) more skewed than total wealth (44%); race is important

New Zealand: Single women slightly wealthier than single men, but big differences are between single and married

US: Median and mean assets of married couples more than twice that of single men or women

US: Disadvantages of parenthood: large wealth gap between single mothers and fathers vs. childless; divorced women vs. divorced men; divorced mothers vs. childless women

Why is women’s asset ownership

important? Equity Different uses of wealth by gender Productive assets allow escape from poverty Assets reduce vulnerability to shocks Assets are related to well-being and

empowerment Women may not share in benefits of men’s

assets

Causes: Accumulation patterns

Marriage Inheritance Gifts and transfers Market purchases State or community distribution

All of these channels conditioned by gender.

Inheritance is the primary means for women to accumulate land in LA

% of women’s land acquired through inheritance Brazil 54% Chile 84% Honduras 40% (58% through market) Mexico 81% Nicaragua 37% (46% through market) Peru 75%

Interaction of marital regimes and inheritance laws Marital regimes:

common property vs. separation of property

Inheritance lawsWho inherits? Spouse, sons, daughters

These suggest that it is necessary to collect individual level asset data, not just household level data

Gender asset gap varies across the life cycle:

In Northern Nigeria: Women bring 1,354 naira to marriage and men

bring 10,276 At the time of the survey men had 14,633 and

women had 876 So men accumulate during marriage and women

spend their assets down

Social norms may affect:

Which assets are considered appropriate for women to own

Perception of women as farmers or entrepreneurs

Women’s roles as wives and mothers Willingness of women to claim rights Management of money

Consequences:

Expenditure patterns (food, education versus “men’s goods”)

Domestic violence Relationship between property ownership, social

assets, income stability and self esteem Security from owning a house Relationships with markets: labor, credit and

product

Challenges: Varying rights over assets

Asset ownership With or without title, joint or individual

Access to assets Control over assets Secure tenure Specific, but limited rights, such as milking rights.Ask about bundles of rights regarding assets and

security of tenure

Challenges: Collecting individual level data

Reasons to do so:

Assets are usually owned by individuals, but data collected at household level

We need to know what when the household dissolves, due to death or divorce