This paper explores the historical origins of gender roles and norms, focusing on the impact of traditional agricultural practices, particularly plough cultivation, on the division of labor and gender inequality. The authors test the hypothesis that societies that traditionally practiced plough agriculture have lower rates of female participation in the workplace, politics, and entrepreneurship, as well as more prevalent attitudes favoring gender inequality. They find strong evidence supporting this hypothesis, with IV estimates based on historical geo-climatic conditions further validating their findings. To isolate the role of cultural transmission, they examine female labor force participation among second-generation immigrants in the US, finding that women from cultures with a history of plough use have lower participation rates. The study also discusses the persistence of these gender norms over time and controls for alternative hypotheses, such as the intensification of agriculture and family structure, to ensure the robustness of their results. Overall, the paper provides evidence that traditional agricultural practices have long-term impacts on gender roles and norms.This paper explores the historical origins of gender roles and norms, focusing on the impact of traditional agricultural practices, particularly plough cultivation, on the division of labor and gender inequality. The authors test the hypothesis that societies that traditionally practiced plough agriculture have lower rates of female participation in the workplace, politics, and entrepreneurship, as well as more prevalent attitudes favoring gender inequality. They find strong evidence supporting this hypothesis, with IV estimates based on historical geo-climatic conditions further validating their findings. To isolate the role of cultural transmission, they examine female labor force participation among second-generation immigrants in the US, finding that women from cultures with a history of plough use have lower participation rates. The study also discusses the persistence of these gender norms over time and controls for alternative hypotheses, such as the intensification of agriculture and family structure, to ensure the robustness of their results. Overall, the paper provides evidence that traditional agricultural practices have long-term impacts on gender roles and norms.