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Assets at Marriage in Rural Ethiopia

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  • Marcel Fafchamps
  • Agnes Quisumbing

Abstract

This paper examines the determinants of assets at marriage in rural Ethiopia. We identify and test three separate processes that determine assets brought to marriage: assortative matching; compensating parental transfers at marriage; and strategic behavior by parents. We find ample evidence for the first, none for the second, and some evidence of the third for brides. We also find no evidence of competition for parental assets among siblings. Results suggests that parents do not transfer wealth to children in ways that compensate for marriage market outcomes. Certain parents, however, give more assets to daughters whenever doing so increases the chances of marrying a wealthy groom.

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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford in its series CSAE Working Paper Series with number 2002-22.

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Date of creation: 2002
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Handle: RePEc:csa:wpaper:2002-22

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Citations

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Cited by:
  1. Marcel Fafchamps & Agnes Quisumbing, 2004. "Marriage and Assortative Matching in Rural Ethiopia," Development and Comp Systems 0409023, EconWPA.
  2. Hoppe, Heidrun C. & Moldovanu, Benny & Sela, Aner, 2006. "The Theory of Assortative Matching Based on Costly Signals," CEPR Discussion Papers 5543, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  3. Pandolfelli, Lauren & Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela & Dohrn, Stephan, 2007. "Gender and collective action: A conceptual framework for analysis," CAPRi working papers 64, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
  4. Rogg, Christian, 2006. "Asset Portfolios in Africa: Evidence from Rural Ethiopia," Working Papers RP2006/145, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
  5. Fafchamps, Marcel & Shilpi, Forhad, 2008. "Subjective welfare, isolation, and relative consumption," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(1), pages 43-60, April.
  6. Loening, Josef & Mikael Imru, Laketch, 2009. "Ethiopia: Diversifying the Rural Economy. An Assessment of the Investment Climate for Small and Informal Enterprises," MPRA Paper 23278, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  7. Marcel Fafchamps & Agnes R. Quisumbing, 2006. "Household Formation and Marriage Markets," Economics Series Working Papers GPRG-WPS-039, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
  8. Platteau, Jean-Philippe & Gaspart, Frederic, 2007. "The Perverse Effects of High Brideprices," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(7), pages 1221-1236, July.
  9. Kumar, Neha & Quisumbing, Agnes R., 2012. "Policy reform toward gender equality in Ethiopia: Little by little the egg begins to walk," IFPRI discussion papers 1226, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
  10. Chowa, Gina & Ansong, David & Masa, Rainier, 2010. "Assets and child well-being in developing countries: A research review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(11), pages 1508-1519, November.

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