Historical gender discrimination does not explain comparative Western European development: evidence from Portugal, 1300-1900

B-Tier
Journal: Explorations in Economic History
Year: 2023
Volume: 88
Issue: C

Authors (3)

Palma, Nuno (University of Manchester) Reis, Jaime (not in RePEc) Rodrigues, Lisbeth (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

0.670 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

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

Abstract

Gender discrimination has been pointed out as a determining factor behind the long-run divergence in incomes of Southern vis-à-vis Northwestern Europe. In this paper, we show that women in Portugal were not historically more discriminated against than those in other parts of Western Europe, including England and the Netherlands. We rely on a new dataset of thousands of observations from archival sources covering six centuries, and we complement it with a qualitative discussion of comparative social norms. Compared with Northwestern Europe, women in Portugal faced similar gender wage gaps, married at similar ages, and did not face more restrictions on labor market participation. Consequently, other factors must have been responsible for the Little Divergence of Western European incomes.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:exehis:v:88:y:2023:i:c:s0014498322000596
Journal Field
Economic History
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-28