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

Property Rights and Gender Bias: Evidence from Land Reform in West Bengal† AbstractWe examine intra-household gender-differentiated effects of property rights securitisation following West Bengal’s tenancy registration program, using two independently gathered datasets. In both samples, higher program implementation increased male child survival rates in families without a firstborn son, but not in those that already have a firstborn male child. We argue this reflects intensified son preference as land rights improve, ostensibly to ensure a male heir to inherit land. Consistent with this, girls with firstborn brothers also experience increased survival, but not girls with firstborn sisters. The gender bias manifests both in infant mortality rates and the sex ratio at birth. (JEL D13, I12, J16, O15, O17, P14, Q15) http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png American Economic Journal: Applied Economics American Economic Association

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

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Publisher
American Economic Association
Copyright
Copyright © 2019 © American Economic Association
ISSN
1945-7790
DOI
10.1257/app.20160262
Publisher site
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Abstract

AbstractWe examine intra-household gender-differentiated effects of property rights securitisation following West Bengal’s tenancy registration program, using two independently gathered datasets. In both samples, higher program implementation increased male child survival rates in families without a firstborn son, but not in those that already have a firstborn male child. We argue this reflects intensified son preference as land rights improve, ostensibly to ensure a male heir to inherit land. Consistent with this, girls with firstborn brothers also experience increased survival, but not girls with firstborn sisters. The gender bias manifests both in infant mortality rates and the sex ratio at birth. (JEL D13, I12, J16, O15, O17, P14, Q15)

Journal

American Economic Journal: Applied Economics – American Economic Association

Published: Apr 1, 2019

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