Gender inequality and caste: Field experimental evidence from India

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization
Year: 2021
Volume: 190
Issue: C
Pages: 111-124

Score contribution per author:

0.402 = (α=2.01 / 5 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Using a field experiment in India where patients are randomly assigned to rank among a set of physicians of the same gender but with different castes and years of experience, we show that the differences in patients’ physician choices are consistent with gender-based statistical discrimination. Labor market experience cannot easily overcome the discrimination that female doctors suffer. Further, we find that gender discrimination is greater for lower caste doctors, who typically suffer from caste discrimination. Given the increasing share of professionals from a lower caste background, our results suggest that the ‘intersectionality’ between gender and caste leads to increased gender inequality among professionals in India.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:jeborg:v:190:y:2021:i:c:p:111-124
Journal Field
Theory
Author Count
5
Added to Database
2026-01-26