Property Rights and Gender Bias: Evidence from Land Reform in West Bengal

Sonia Bhalotra, Abhishek Chakravarty, Dilip Mookherjee and Francisco Pino

No dp-281, Boston University - Department of Economics - The Institute for Economic Development Working Papers Series from Boston University - Department of Economics

Abstract: While land reforms are typically pursued in order to raise produc tivity and reduce inequality across households, an unintended consequence may be increased within-household gender inequality. We analyse a tenancy registration programme in West Bengal, and find that it increased child survival and reduced fertility. However, we also find that it intensified son preference in families without a first-born son to inherit the land title. These families exhibit no reduction in fertility, an increase in the probability that a subsequent birth is male, and a substantial increase in the survival advantage of subsequent sons over daughters.

Keywords: Land reform; property rights; gender; infant mortality; sex ratio; fertility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I14 I24 J71 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 54
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr, nep-dem and nep-dev
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (19)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Property Rights and Gender Bias: Evidence from Land Reform in West Bengal (2019)
Working Paper: Property Rights and Gender Bias: Evidence from Land Reform in West Bengal (2016)
Working Paper: Property Rights and Gender Bias: Evidence from Land Reform in West Bengal (2016)
Working Paper: Property Rights and Gender Bias: Evidence from Land Reform in West Bengal (2016)
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