According to the findings of global research, including India, gender inequality is linked to differences in the structure of the brains of men and women.
The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that in countries with greater gender inequality, the cortical thickness of the right hemisphere of women’s brains was thinner than that of men.
There was no significant difference in more gender-equal countries.
The study found that the areas of the brain affected were those specifically associated with stress and emotions, and also affected by stress-related disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Our analysis suggests that some sex differences in brain structure are linked to the unfavorable social environment under which many women live,” said lead author Dr Nicholas Crossley, Visiting Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford, UK.
“We therefore think that what we are seeing is the effect of chronic stress on the brains of women in gender unequal environments,” said Crossley, who is also an associate professor at Pontificia Universidad Católica in Chile.
For the study, researchers looked at MRI scans of 4,078 women and 3,798 men aged 18 to 40 from countries including the UK, US, China, Latin America, India and South Africa.
According to Crossley, stress affects the connections of neurons, which we will see in MRI studies as thinning of the gray matter cortex.
However, other mechanisms may also be involved, such as the effect of fewer opportunities, including education, on women’s brains leading to less development of connections, she said.
“These results suggest a possible neural connection between gender inequality and higher risk of mental health problems and lower academic performance – pointing to a potentially dangerous effect of gender inequality on women’s brains,” Crossley said.
“This research has the potential to inform gender equality policies but further study is needed to help examine in more detail how and when this happens.”