Women's role in economy: cause and effect

There is an intersting article in the Economist magazine about what is the reason behind plight of women especially in developing countries and how to overcome it. Traditionally women have been restricted in homes and their role in economic development has been minimal. However, lately there have been a lot of research and policy level discussions on increasing the overall participation of women in economic activities. Many, including the World Bank, beleieve that liberating women from traditional boundaries will lead to higher economic growth.

Citing this advocacy of the World Bank, this article raises an intersting question but from a slightly different angle. Excerpt:

But the World Bank may have cause and effect reversed. Does liberating women promote economic growth or does economic growth spur women's liberation?

link
http://www.economist.com/daily/news/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8792052