The Gender of Capital: How Families Perpetuate Wealth Inequality

The Gender of Capital explores how legal professionals unwittingly help rich families and men maintain their privilege by examining the gender wealth gap in countries with officially egalitarian property law. It combines quantitative, ethnographic, and archival research to show how women are economically disadvantaged in divorce proceedings, estate planning, and other crucial situations where law and family life intersect. The book argues that too many outcomes are imprinted with unthought sexism and that the legal profession remains in thrall to assumptions that reinforce gender inequality.

Format: Hardback
Length: 344 pages
Publication date: 07 March 2023
Publisher: Harvard University Press

In many countries, property law grants equal rights to men and women. However, why do women still accumulate less wealth than men? Combining quantitative, ethnographic, and archival research, The Gender of Capital provides an in-depth explanation of how and why women are economically disadvantaged with respect to their husbands, fathers, and brothers in every class of society. The reasons for this economic disparity lie in the unfair economic arrangements that play out in divorce proceedings, estate planning, and other crucial situations where law and family life intersect.

Céline Bessière and Sibylle Gollac argue that, despite the intentions of the law, too many outcomes are imprinted with unthought sexism. In private decisions, old habits die hard, with families continuing to allocate resources disproportionately to benefit boys and men. Meanwhile, the legal profession remains in thrall to assumptions that reinforce gender inequality. To address these biases, Bessière and Gollac marshal a range of economic data documenting these disparities. They also examine scores of family histories and interview family members, lawyers, and notaries to identify the accounting tricks that tip the scales in favor of men.

Women across the class spectrum, from poor single mothers to MacKenzie Scott, ex-wife of Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, can face systematic economic disadvantages in divorce cases. The same is true in matters of inheritance and succession in family-owned businesses. Moreover, these disadvantages perpetuate broader social disparities beyond gender inequality. As Bessière and Gollac make clear, the appropriation of capital by men has helped to perpetuate social inequalities and economic disparities.

In conclusion, The Gender of Capital is a groundbreaking book that sheds light on the gender wealth gap in countries with officially egalitarian property law. By examining the intersection of law and family life, Bessière and Gollac provide a compelling account of how legal professionals unwittingly and unwittingly help rich families and men maintain their privilege. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the underlying causes of gender inequality and the urgent need for reform.

Weight: 652g
Dimension: 166 x 242 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780674271791