Property rights and gender bias: evidence from land reform in West Bengal

Publication type

Research Paper

Series Number

9930

Series

IZA Discussion Papers

Authors

Publication date

May 15, 2016

Summary:

While land reforms are typically pursued in order to raise productivity and reduce inequality across households, an unintended consequence may be increased within-household gender inequality. We analyse a tenancy registration programme in West Bengal, and find that it increased child survival and reduced fertility. However, we also find that it intensified son preference in families without a first-born son to inherit the land title. These families exhibit no reduction in fertility, an increase in the probability that a subsequent birth is male, and a substantial increase in the survival advantage of subsequent sons over daughters.

Subjects

Link

http://www.iza.org/en/webcontent/publications/papers/viewAbstract?dp_id=9930

#523723

---

Related Publications

• Property rights and gender bias: evidence from land reform in West Bengal

  1. Sonia Bhalotra
  2. Abhishek Chakravarty
  3. Dilip Mookherjee
  4. Francisco J. Pino

  Journal Article
  April 15, 2019