Gender Equality Through Marriage

Gloria Moroni (), Cheti Nicoletti (), Kjell G Salvanes and Emma Tominey ()
Additional contact information
Gloria Moroni: Ca’ Foscari University Venice
Cheti Nicoletti: University of York
Emma Tominey: University of York

No 18288, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We revisit the economic effects of marriage, analysing its heterogeneous impact on the intra-household labour division following childbirth. Can marriage promote coordination of work and child activities between parents and a gender egalitarian division of labour? Using a marginal treatment effect framework, we find the average effect of marriage is to increase parental specialization and worsen the mother’s child penalty. However, we find differences across couples with varying resistance to marriage. While traditional couples (low-resistance) exhibit increased specialization; in modern couples (high-resistance) fathers have an earnings penalty and take more paternity leave, suggesting more coordination and gender equality.

Keywords: cooperation; specialization; marriage; cohabitation; child human capital (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J11 J12 J13 J18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-lab and nep-mac
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Working Paper: Gender equality through marriage (2025)
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