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Gender Bias in Education: the Role of Inter‐household Externality, Dowry and other Social Institutions
Author(s) -
Lahiri Sajal,
Self Sharmistha
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
review of development economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.531
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1467-9361
pISSN - 1363-6669
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9361.2007.00387.x
Subject(s) - dowry , externality , economics , marriage market , gender bias , labour economics , demographic economics , microeconomics , psychology , political science , law , social psychology
We analyze gender bias in school enrollment by developing a two‐period model where women become part of extended families of their in‐laws. Each family decides how many sons and daughters are sent to school and thus become skilled. Gender bias occurs due to failure of the families to internalize inter‐household externalities. “Groom‐specific” dowry worsens the situation. Under “bride‐specific” dowry, bias exists if and only if the skill premium in the labor market is bigger than that in the marriage market. A specific discriminatory “food‐for‐education” policy is shown to reduce bias, but increase total enrollment.