When Daughters Migrate and Mothers Do Not: Girl Children’s Paid Outside Work in West Bengal,India

Deepita Chakravarty () and Ishita Chakravarty ()
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Deepita Chakravarty: Department of Economics, SOAS University of London, UK
Ishita Chakravarty: Vidya Sagar College, Calcutta University

No 175, Working Papers from Department of Economics, SOAS University of London, UK

Abstract: As many of the discriminatory practices against girl children and women primarily take place within the household, the family seems to have a crucial role in determining such outcomes. However, it needs to be remembered that gender discrimination takes different forms in different socio-economic and cultural contexts. Decisions taken by the household are naturally informed by such broader considerations. This paper tries to understand the possible role of the family in determining the country’s highest work-participation rate of the urban girl children in West Bengal, India. This seems to be a paradox as West Bengal is known for its historical bias against adult women’s paid outside work. The paper also explores the possible changes in gender relations within the household with the changes in the relative decision making powers of the different adult members of the family. Our argument is based on both secondary and primary data.

Keywords: Girl child domestics; internal migration; India (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J01 J16 J61 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 26 pages
Date: 2012-07
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