Ketimpangan Gender Sebagai Hambatan Pertumbuhan Ekonomi: Studi Panel Asia Selatan 2010--2023

Noraulifiyah Mazda Surury, Eny Sulistyaningrum, S.E., M.A., Ph.D

2026 | Tesis | S2 Magister Ek.Pembangunan

Ketimpangan gender merupakan salah satu hambatan struktural yang masih dihadapi negara-negara Asia Selatan meskipun kawasan ini mengalami pertumbuhan ekonomi yang relatif tinggi. Sebagian besar penelitian terdahulu masih bersifat korelasional sehingga rentan terhadap permasalahan endogenitas, terutama akibat reverse causality dan omitted variable bias. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis pengaruh kausal ketimpangan gender terhadap pertumbuhan ekonomi di kawasan Asia Selatan. Penelitian menggunakan data panel delapan negara Asia Selatan selama periode 2010–2023. Data diperoleh dari United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Reports dan World Development Indicators (WDI) World Bank. Estimasi dilakukan menggunakan metode Instrumental Variables Two-Stage Least Squares (IV-2SLS) dengan skor indeks Women, Business and the Law (WBL) sebagai instrumen bagi ketimpangan gender. Hasil estimasi first-stage menunjukkan bahwa skor indeks WBL merupakan instrumen yang relevan dan kuat, yang ditunjukkan oleh koefisien first-stage yang negatif dan signifikan terhadap ketimpangan gender serta nilai first-stage F-statistic sebesar 60,72 yang melampaui nilai kritis Stock–Yogo. Hasil estimasi second-stage menunjukkan bahwa ketimpangan gender berpengaruh negatif dan signifikan terhadap pertumbuhan ekonomi. Penurunan ketimpangan gender sebesar 0,1 poin diperkirakan meningkatkan pertumbuhan ekonomi sekitar 0,087 poin persentase, ceteris paribus. Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa reformasi hukum yang memperkuat hak-hak ekonomi perempuan berkontribusi terhadap pertumbuhan ekonomi melalui penurunan ketimpangan gender. Dengan demikian, kebijakan yang mendorong kesetaraan gender perlu diposisikan sebagai bagian dari strategi pembangunan ekonomi yang inklusif dan berkelanjutan, bukan semata-mata sebagai kebijakan sosial.

Gender inequality remains a structural barrier facing South Asian countries, despite the region experiencing relatively high economic growth. Most prior studies have been correlational in nature, making them susceptible to endogeneity issues specifically reverse causality and omitted variable bias. This study aims to analyze the causal impact of gender inequality on economic growth in South Asia, utilizing panel data from eight South Asian countries covering the 2010–2023 period. Data were sourced from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Reports and the World Bank World Development Indicators (WDI). Estimation was conducted using the Instrumental Variables Two-Stage Least Squares (IV-2SLS) method, with the Women, Business and the Law (WBL) index score serving as an instrument for gender inequality. First-stage estimation results indicate that the WBL index score is a relevant and strong instrument, evidenced by a significant negative coefficient regarding gender inequality and a first-stage F-statistic of 60.66 which exceeds the Stock–Yogo critical value. Second-stage estimation results reveal that gender inequality has a significant negative impact on economic growth. A 0.1-point reduction in gender inequality is estimated to increase economic growth by approximately 0.087 percentage points, ceteris paribus. These findings demonstrate that legal reforms strengthening women's economic rights contribute to economic growth by reducing gender inequality. Consequently, policies promoting gender equality should be positioned as integral components of inclusive and sustainable economic development strategies, rather than merely as social policies.

Kata Kunci : ketimpangan gender, pertumbuhan ekonomi, reformasi hukum, Instrumental Variables, Asia Selatan