Seeing is believing- can increasing the number of female leaders reduce sex selection in rural India?

Priti Kalsi

Journal of Development Economics, 2017, vol. 126, issue C, 1-18

Abstract: Cultural values regarding gender roles encourage gender discrimination and the practice of sex selection. Increasing political and work force participation of women challenges such norms. Exploiting the implementation of an Indian law that required one-third of local political seats to be reserved for women, I investigate the impact of female leadership on sex selection in rural India. I find an increase in the survival of higher birth order girls if political seats at the local level have been reserved for women. I argue that the likely underlying mechanism is a change in beliefs due to exposure to female leaders.

Keywords: Sex selection; Female politicians; Gender-discrimination (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I18 J13 J16 O20 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (24)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:deveco:v:126:y:2017:i:c:p:1-18

DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2016.12.002

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