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Males Should Mail? Gender Discrimination in Access to Childcare

Author

Listed:
  • Henning Hermes
  • Philipp Lergetporer
  • Frauke Peter
  • Fabian Mierisch
  • Simon Wiederhold

Abstract

This study investigates discrimination against women when searching and applying for childcare in a nationwide field experiment. We send emails from fictitious parents to 9,313 childcare centers in Germany inquiring about access to childcare. We randomize whether the email is sent by the child's mother or father. Our results show that women receive shorter and less positive responses than men. The probability of receiving a response does not differ by gender, highlighting the importance of going beyond response rates to detect discrimination. We provide suggestive evidence that regional differences in gender discrimination are related to gender norms.

Suggested Citation

  • Henning Hermes & Philipp Lergetporer & Frauke Peter & Fabian Mierisch & Simon Wiederhold, 2023. "Males Should Mail? Gender Discrimination in Access to Childcare," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 113, pages 427-431, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:apandp:v:113:y:2023:p:427-31
    DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20231060
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jessen, Jonas & Schmitz, Sophia & Waights, Sevrin, 2020. "Understanding day care enrolment gaps," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    2. Bicchieri, Cristina & Dimant, Eugen & Gächter, Simon & Nosenzo, Daniele, 2022. "Social proximity and the erosion of norm compliance," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 59-72.
    3. Gimenez-Nadal, José Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto, 2020. "The Gender Gap in Time Allocation in Europe," IZA Discussion Papers 13461, IZA Network @ LISER.
    4. Martin Eckhoff Andresen & Emily Nix, 2022. "What Causes the Child Penalty? Evidence from Adopting and Same-Sex Couples," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 40(4), pages 971-1004.
    5. Hermes, Henning & Lergetporer, Philipp & Mierisch, Fabian & Peter, Frauke & Wiederhold, Simon, 2023. "Discrimination in Universal Social Programs? A Nationwide Field Experiment on Access to Child Care," CEPR Discussion Papers 18113, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    6. repec:bav:wpaper:225_hermesetal is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Hermes, Henning & Lergetporer, Philipp & Peter, Frauke & Wiederhold, Simon, 2021. "Behavioral Barriers and the Socioeconomic Gap in Child Care Enrollment," Discussion Paper Series in Economics 16/2021, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Economics.
    8. Peter Bergman & Isaac McFarlin Jr., 2018. "Education for All? A Nationwide Audit Study of School Choice," NBER Working Papers 25396, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Marianne Bertrand, 2020. "Gender in the Twenty-First Century," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 110, pages 1-24, May.
    10. Hermes, Henning & Krauß, Marina & Lergetporer, Philipp & Peter, Frauke & Wiederhold, Simon, 2022. "Early child care and labor supply of lower-SES mothers: A randomized controlled trial," DICE Discussion Papers 394, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    11. Henning Hermes & Philipp Lergetporer & Fabian Mierisch & Frauke Peter & Simon Wiederhold, 2023. "Discrimination on the Child Care Market: A Nationwide Field Experiment," Working Papers 225, Bavarian Graduate Program in Economics (BGPE).
    12. Henning Hermesifo & Philipp Lergetporer & Frauke Peter & Simon Wiederhold, 2025. "Application Barriers and the Socioeconomic Gap in Child Care Enrollment," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 23(3), pages 1133-1172.
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    Cited by:

    1. Hermes, Henning & Lergetporer, Philipp & Mierisch, Fabian & Schwerdt, Guido & Wiederhold, Simon, 2024. "Information about inequality in early child care reduces polarization in policy preferences," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    2. Kristy Buzard & Laura K Gee & Olga Stoddard, 2025. "Who You Gonna Call? Gender Inequality in External Demands for Parental Involvement," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 140(4), pages 2805-2849.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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