Do Men Really Have Greater Socio-Emotional Skills Than Women? Evidence from Tanzanian Youth

Investment Rating - The report does not provide a specific investment rating for the industry. Core Insights - The study investigates socio-emotional skills (SES) among Tanzanian youth, revealing that men self-report higher SES than women, but behavioral measures show minimal gender gaps, suggesting men's overestimation of their skills rather than women's underestimation [4][10][36]. Summary by Sections Introduction - The demand for socio-emotional skills in the labor market is increasing, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. SES are recognized as foundational skills alongside literacy and numeracy, with potential high economic returns [8][9]. Methodology - The study utilizes a sample of over 4,000 youth not in education, employment, or training (NEET) in urban Tanzania, employing both self-reported and behavioral measures of 14 SES [10][16]. Results - Men score higher than women on all 12 positively-worded self-reported SES measures, with a gender gap of 0.20 standard deviations. However, behavioral measures show only small gender gaps for a few skills, indicating that self-reported measures may be influenced by social desirability bias [10][36][39]. - The gap between self-reported and behavioral measures is larger among men, suggesting that men's overestimation of their skills is linked to gendered beliefs about abilities [10][40]. Discussion - The findings contribute to the understanding of gender gaps in SES, indicating that apparent male advantages in self-reported skills may not reflect actual skill differences. The study emphasizes the importance of using behavioral measures to assess SES accurately [11][12][14]. - The report highlights the need for interventions that address beliefs about abilities and improve both men's and women's labor market outcomes [14][46].