Gender Inequality and Caste: Field Experimental Evidence from India

Arbeitspapier

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.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 14713

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination ; Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination ; Health and Economic Development ; Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
• Subject: caste discrimination ; statistical discrimination ; gender discrimination ; intersectionality ; affirmative action

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Islam, Asad ; Pakrashi, Debayan ; Sahoo, Soubhagya ; Wang, Liang Choon ; Zenou, Yves
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2021

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/245764
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET