FIN 607: The Economics of Gender in Households and Organizations

Contents
Where do gender gaps come from and how can households, firms, and governments close them? Once a niche topic, the economics of gender now sits at the centre of debates about pay equity, promotion, caregiving, entrepreneur­ship, and corporate governance. This course will focus on gender roles in various contexts including intra-household decision-making and time allocation; human capital and fertility choices; the role of identity and social norms; leader­ship/promotions and institutional frameworks. We will cut through buzzwords and myths to clarify what the evidence shows and where uncertainty remains. We will use various approaches to understand the content: lectures, case studies, insights from practice, and students’ presentations.

Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: 1. Explain core theories of gender economics and empirical evidence 2. Understand the gender gaps in wages, promotions and labor market 3. Analyze key drivers including economic and psychological factors that explain gender specific behaviors (risk taking, saving/retirement, credit use, entrepreneur­ship) and diagnose sources of observed differences. 4. Evaluate the effectiveness and trade-offs of gender-specific interventions such as childcare and parental leave, flexible work, pay trans­parency, and leader­ship/board quotas.

Necessary prerequisites
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Recommended prerequisites
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Examiner Performing lecturer

Dr. Sehrish Usman Dr. Sehrish Usman