Son Preference, Gender Gap in Higher Education Attainment and High‐Skilled Occupations: Evidence From China

Yangming Bao and Di Lu ()
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Yangming Bao: CUEB - Capital University of Economics and Business
Di Lu: SZU - Shenzhen University [Shenzhen] = 深圳大学, Audencia Business School

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Abstract: The paper examines the impact of the resumption of China's national college entrance exam ( Gaokao ) on the gender gap in higher education attainment and women's later career advancement. We find that the resumption of the Gaokao widened the higher education gender gap in affected cohorts in regions with stronger son preference. Moreover, this gap later extended to high‐skilled occupations, including directorships and executive positions in Chinese public firms. These outcomes are driven by local sex discrimination, which exacerbates gender‐biased resource allocation. Our findings highlight that entrenched gender norms can distort policies designed to nurture talent without explicit gender targeting, ultimately leading to persistent gender disparities in high‐skilled positions.

Keywords: board gender diversity; gender norms; higher education expansion; high-skilled occupations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-08-13
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Published in Review of Development Economics, inPress, ⟨10.1111/rode.70036⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05231912

DOI: 10.1111/rode.70036

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