Title
Gender Bias in Education: the Role of Inter‐household Externality, Dowry and other Social Institutions
Abstract
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.
Department(s)
Economics
Document Type
Article
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9361.2007.00387.x
Publication Date
11-1-2007
Recommended Citation
Lahiri, Sajal, and Sharmistha Self. "Gender Bias in Education: the Role of Inter‐household Externality, Dowry and other Social Institutions." Review of Development Economics 11, no. 4 (2007): 591-606.
Journal Title
Review of Development Economics
