INTRODUCTION
The turn of the twenty-first century has witnessed significant global advances in the achievement of the economic equality of women. In many countries, state policies that prohibit gender discrimination in employment, secure equal pay for equal work, guarantee equality in hiring and promotion practices, and other core economic rights, have been widely adopted. Yet, there continues to be a significant gap between women's de jure status and their de facto status in many countries. According to the World Bank (2001, 1), systematic indicators show that great disparities exist in women's access to, and control of, resources for economic and social opportunities. These disparities cut across countries and affect women in both developed and developing regions. For example, even in the advanced industrialized nations of France, Japan, and the United Kingdom, women's right to equal pay for equal work is not respected, as women earn as much as 30% to nearly 60% less than their male counterparts (World Bank 2001, 55).
This research seeks to explain the cross-national determinants of government respect for women's economic rights. I focus on government practices toward women's rights because, to a great degree, national governments control the treatment accorded to their citizens. Women's economic rights are defined as internationally recognized rights, including equal pay for equal work, free choice of profession or employment, equality in hiring and promotion practices, nondiscrimination by employers, the right to be free from sexual harassment in the workplace, the right to work in occupations classified as dangerous, and others.