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

Francisco Pino, Dilip Mookherjee, Abhishek Chakravarty and Sonia Bhalotra

Working Papers from eSocialSciences

Abstract: While land reforms are typically pursued in order to raise productivity 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 reforms; productivity; inequality; households; gender inequality; gender; West Bengal; child survival; fertility; family; first born; inheritance; land title; birth; male preference; survival; advantage; daughters; sons; property rights; gender bias; land reforms; India (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016-06
Note: Institutional Papers
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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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
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