Romina Kazandjian, Ms. Lisa L Kolovich, Ms. Kalpana Kochhar, and Ms. Monique Newiak
We show that gender inequality decreases the variety of goods countries produce and export, in
particular in low-income and developing countries. We argue that this happens through at least
two channels: first, gender gaps in opportunity, such as lower educational enrollment rates for
girls than for boys, harm diversification by constraining the potential pool of human capital
available in an economy. Second, gender gaps in the labor market impede the development of
new ideas by decreasing the efficiency of the labor force. Our empirical estimates support these
hypotheses, providing evidence that gender-friendly policies could help countries diversify their
economies.