Gender equality in Muslim-majority countries

- We empirically examine gender equality in Muslim-majority countries.
- We account for the role of Islam in the constitutions of the sampled countries.
- Discrimination against women is evident when Islam is the source of legislation.

Discrimination against women has been documented in Muslim-majority countries. However, constitutions among Muslim-majority countries differ. By using women's rights indicators and exploiting cross-country variation, we find that discrimination against women is more pronounced in countries where Islam is the source of legislation. Constitutions have changed in only four Muslim-majority countries since 1980. We discuss anecdotal evidence concerning the extent to which women's rights changed as a consequence of new constitutions. Empirical studies should therefore distinguish between types of Muslim-majority countries.