The 'Nowhere' Children: Patriarchy and the Role of Girls in India's Rural Economy

Uma Kambhampati and Raji Rajan

Journal of Development Studies, 2008, vol. 44, issue 9, 1309-1341

Abstract: This paper analyses the contribution that girls make to the rural economy in India through their involvement in the labour market as well as in household chores. We model this in the context of the very different institutional and familial arrangements for girl children prevalent in different parts of India. Analysing the determinants of these activities within a multivariate probit model, we find that the best possible outcome for girls is in districts with high female literacy because here the probability of schooling increases and the probability of work decreases. Less satisfactory but still acceptable outcomes arise in districts where the female labour participation is high. Our results also show that the presence of very young siblings in the household worsens the probability of girls going to school or even working. The presence of older female siblings improves the chances of schooling while that of older male siblings increases the probability of girls doing household chores.

Date: 2008
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Working Paper: The 'Nowhere' Children: Patriarchy and the Role of Girls in India's Rural Economy (2004)
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DOI: 10.1080/00220380802264978

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