Introduction -- Module I. Fundamental matters : Do women and men behave differently in economic situations? : Do women behave more altruistically than men? ; Are women less competitive than men? ; Are women more averse to risk than men? ; A cautionary note on observer bias ; Nature versus nurture in gender: evolutionary, feminist, and postmodern views ; Summary ; Exercises and questions for discussions -- What determines the balance of power in a household? : The unitary model ; The Nash bargaining model ; Determinants of threat utility ; Noncooperative bargaining ; Evidence for bargaining models ; Origins of patriarchy ; Culture and the perpetuation of patriarchy -- Module II. Gender in markets : Are women discriminated against in the labor market? : A taste for discrimination ; Statistical discrimination ; The efficiency wage theory of discrimination ; Why women are held to higher standards than men in some jobs -- How do credit markets affect the well-being of women? : The gendered distribution of wealth ; Why asset ownership matters: a Marxian model ; The role of wealth in credit markets ; Implications for entrepreneurship ; How credit markets put women entrepreneurs at a disadvantage ; Is there gender discrimination in credit markets? -- What are the effects of globalization on women? : Advantages of globalization ; Effects of international trade and foreign direct investment on women ; Globalization and investment in human capital: lessons from India ; Globalization and patriarchy ; A downside of globalization: increased trafficking of women ; Are women more protectionist than men? -- Module III. Marriage and fertility : How do women fare in the institution of marriage? : Social and private benefits of marriage ; Two theories of marriage: economic and evolutionary ; Why monogamy? ; Dowries ; The human capital and labor market consequences of marriage ; Spousal violence ; Divorce and its economic effects on women ; Appendix: the concept of present value -- Why are women the causes and the victims of fertility decline? : Fertility choice in rich countries ; Fertility choice in poor countries ; Economic development and fertility ; The demographic transition ; The role of child labor in fertility decline ; The importance of female autonomy in fertility choice ; Why females are victims of fertility decline ; "Missing women" -- How do women benefit from improved access to birth control? : Access to birth control and the well-being of women in poor countries ; The effects of oral contraceptives on women's careers in rich countries ; Birth control and out-of-wedlock births in rich countries ; Birth control and the well-being of women in rich countries ; Unintended consequences of birth control technologies -- Module IV. Empowering women : How did women gain suffrage, and what are its economic effects? : An economic motivation for women's suffrage ; The political means to attain suffrage ; How women gained suffrage ; Women and the amount of government spending ; Economic reasons for the political gender gap ; How daughters influence their parents' political views -- How can women be empowered? : Educating women ; Giving women access to credit ; Using affirmative action to benefit women ; Improving women's political representation ; Increasing family planning and healthcare expenditures ; Reforming inheritance and property laws ; Does empowerment make women happier?