Abstract

The present study examines three plays by Tirso de Molina (Amar por señas, El castigo del penséque and Quien calla otorga) in which female protagonists in positions of power (or as relatives of those in power) use their authority to confuse and deceive the male protagonists, who is a foreigner in their lands. Their position allows them to go beyond the typical deceptions of Tirso’s intrigue comedies (e. g., Don Gil de las calzas verdes). Concretely, they manage to detain the young man physically, to torment him without revealing their identity and to send ambiguous message that keep the male character in uncertainty. However, they are constrained by their sense of honor and it is implied that, after the traditional wedding that ends these plays, the women will no longer have the authority to continue their manipulation.

Abstract

This paper reviews the empirical literature on the existence and impact of gender discriminatory laws on women's outcomes across various domains (categories) that constitute the Women in Business and the Law measure of gender inequality. The evidence to date suggests that there are significant negative consequences of legal gender discrimination on women's outcomes. However, there is considerable variation in the depth of the literature across different domains. In addition, a significant share of the evidence for certain domains is drawn from developed countries, which raises questions about its relevance for developing countries. The literature also highlights some potential unintended consequences of well-intended policy interventions to address legal gender discrimination in certain domains. The paper concludes with a discussion of the various theories relating women's legal rights to their outcomes. Document type: Book