What motivates female operators to enter the garment industry in Pakistan in the post-MFA period?

Pakistan\u27s knitwear exports had been struggling since the quota phase-out until 2009. A particular feature of Pakistan\u27s garment industry is that hiring more male sewing operators at piece rates. Recently, a few surviving knitwear factories have adopted a strategy of shifting from male piece-rate operators to salaried female operators. In Pakistan, female participation in general workforce is very limited and hiring salaried female operators requires management effort and expertise. However, even in the factories with such management skills, household factors prevent females from working outside because Pakistani culture disrespects women working in factories. Our survey reveals that financial motives compel female household members to work outside their homes and that female operators contribute substantially to their households\u27 finances

Female labor force participation and dowries in Pakistan

Dowries are prevalent in South Asian countries, despite legal bans. Theoretical studies suggest that increasing women\u27s financial contribution to households is the key to effectively abolishing this practice. To empirically examine this proposition, we conducted a unique survey in rural Pakistan, and gathered contemporaneous information about the expected amount of dowry for unmarried daughters. The estimation results show a negative association between female labor force participation and the expected amount of dowry, whereas no negative association is observed with other marriage expenses. These findings suggest that the negative association derives from appreciation of working women rather than their stigmatization

Effects of birth order and sibling sex composition on human capital investment in children in India

The paper explores the effects of birth order and sibling sex composition on human capital investment in children in India using the Indian Human Development Survey (IHDS). Endogeneity of fertility is addressed using instruments and controlling for household fixed effects. Family size effect is also distinguished from the sibling sex composition effect. Previous literature has often failed to take endogeneity into account and shows a negative birth order effect for girls in India. Once endogeneity of fertility is addressed, there is no evidence for a negative birth order effect or sibling sex composition effect for girls. Results show that boys are worse off in households that have a higher proportion of boys specifically when they have older brothers

Better than nothing? : dowry in the absence of the legal protection of women\u27s inheritance rights

The practice of dowry is often thought to be the root cause of the unequal treatment of women in India. For women without inheritance rights, however, dowry may function as their only source of protection. Using a nationwide dataset and exploiting a natural experimental situation, this study explores the effects of dowry on women\u27s empowerment in India, a society where women do not have inheritance rights. In such a society, dowry seems to enhance women\u27s status in the marital household. The effects reverse when women have equal inheritance rights as their brothers. Empirical analysis suggests that the outright ban on dowry that ignores the context may not necessarily benefit women

Effects of birth order and sibling sex composition on human capital investment in children in India

The paper explores the effects of birth order and sibling sex composition on human capital investment in children in India using the Indian Human Development Survey (IHDS). Endogeneity of fertility is addressed using instruments and controlling for household fixed effects. Family size effect is also distinguished from the sibling sex composition effect. Previous literature has often failed to take endogeneity into account and shows a negative birth order effect for girls in India. Once endogeneity of fertility is addressed, there is no evidence for a negative birth order effect or sibling sex composition effect for girls. Results show that boys are worse off in households that have a higher proportion of boys specifically when they have older brothers.India, Fertility, Family planning, Household, Birth order, Sibling sex composition, Household resource allocation

Marriage, dowry, and women\u27s status in rural Punjab, Pakistan

Dowry is a common custom observed in South Asian countries. It has been a target of an opposition movement because it is assumed to be a root cause of women\u27s mistreatment, for example, in the form of sex-selective abortion, girls\u27 malnutrition, female infanticide, and domestic homicide called "dowry murder." Despite its alleged evil consequences and the legal ban or restrictions on it, the custom has been extended, and recently, the dowry amount seems to be increasing. However, there is little empirical evidence of dowry\u27s effects. This study empirically investigates the effects of dowry on women\u27s status in rural Pakistan. We conducted a unique survey in rural Punjab, Pakistan, to explore the marriage practices there and to answer the research question. Results show that a higher dowry amount enhances women’s status in the marital household. This implies that an outright ban on dowries does not necessarily improve women\u27s welfare at this time

Labor market information and parental attitudes toward women working outside the home : experimental evidence from rural Pakistan

Women’s paid-work participation remains low in South Asian countries even though it is considered crucial for development and alleviation of poverty. Prior qualitative interviews have revealed the general lack of knowledge on labor market opportunities for women workers. This study aims to investigate whether providing parents with information on i ncome earning opportunities for young women is effective in changing parental attitudes t oward women working outside the home. A randomized controlled trial was conducted within commuting distance of formal export-oriented garment factories in rural Pakistan. The estimation results show that provision of information about working conditions and environments is effective in influencing positive changes in parental attitudes toward women working in garment factories. Given the strong stigma associated with women working outside the home, especially in factories, I believe that the observed positive t ransformation forms an encouraging first step toward achieving actual enhancement of women’s paid-work participation

Early effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on children in rural Bangladesh

Using data collected through a telephone-based survey in rural Bangladesh during the height of the pandemic, we present evidence on the effects of COVID-19-led lockdown and school closures on children, focusing on three child-related outcomes: time use of children during the school closure, plans regarding children\u27s schooling continuation, and the incidence of child marriages. Our analysis reveals heterogeneity in the effects of lockdown and school closure in terms of the child\u27s gender and the type of shocks. We find a decrease in children\u27s study time and an increase in time spent on household chores during the school closure, and these changes were significantly larger for girls than for boys. Within the household, respiratory illness lowered expectations that a child would return to school and increased the probability of marriage-related discussions for girls. Our findings offer a cautionary tale regarding the potential long-term effects of pandemic for girls in developing countries