The Roots of Female Emancipation: The Initializing Role of Cool Water

Abstract

Reviewing the literature on the deep historic roots of gender inequality, we theorize and provide evidence for a trajectory that (1) originates in a climatic configuration called the “Cool Water” (CW-) condition, leading to (2) late female marriages in preindustrial times, which eventually pave the way towards (3) various gender egalitarian outcomes today. The CW-condition is a specific climatic con-figuration that combines periodically frosty winters with mildly warm summers under the ubiquitous accessibility of fresh water. It embodies opportunity endowments that significantly reduce fertility pressures. The resulting household formation patterns empowered women and reduced gender inequality.