Négociation au sein des ménages ivoiriens : résultats expérimentaux en milieu rural

This paper proposes a novel experimental measure of women's relative bargaining power, relates this measure to expenditures on various household public goods, and studies its determinants. A key question we address in the process is whether higher bargaining power for women translates into increased allocation of resources toward public goods. We find that men prioritize food expenditures, women prioritize financial transfers to parents, and both men and women have similar average priorities with respect to educational expenditures. The woman's bargaining power over the three categories of expenditures studied is correlated with the price of the bride, the education of the wife, and the income of the husband. The results contribute to the debate on women's greater interest in the welfare of her children and could have interesting policy implications.