Increasing female education, stagnating female labor force participation, and gains from marriage: The case of rural Bangladesh

Tomomi Tanaka, Kazushi Takahashi and Keijiro Otsuka ()
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Tomomi Tanaka: World Bank

No 19-34, GRIPS Discussion Papers from National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies

Abstract: Despite progress toward gender equality in education in Bangladesh, its female labor force participation (FLFP) rate has been stagnant relative to that of men, especially in marginal rural areas. To identify the overall benefit of schooling investment in women in rural Bangladesh, we examine the impact of female educational attainment on not only FLFP but also gains from marriage and household welfare. Applying a fuzzy regression discontinuity design where plausibly exogenous variation in school enrollment is created by the nationwide stipend program for women, we find moderate impacts of female education on FLFP, while it has positive and significant effects on the husband's schooling and household income, particularly from non-farm activities. The results also show the significantly positive impacts of women's education on sanitation control and children's health. These findings indicate that female schooling enhances women's role and well-being through marriage and household activities rather than their labor market activities.

Pages: 58 pages
Date: 2020-02
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