IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/hit/hitjec/v62y2021i2p101-123.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Impact of Natural Disasters on Womenʼs Empowerment in Rural Vietnam

Author

Listed:
  • Hoang, Trung Xuan
  • Nga, Van Thi Le

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of natural disasters on womenʼs empowerment in rural Vietnam. Using Vietnam Access to Resources Household Surveys 2008 and 2010, we find strong evidence on the impact of natural disasters on womenʼs empowerment. Non-parametric methods also corroborate this finding. Our estimates are strong for different model specifications and different measures of womenʼs empowerment. We also discuss channels through which natural disasters affect womenʼs empowerment. In an agrarian society, men have an advantage in agricultural activities relative to women, therefore women have less power within households compared with men. Our empirical results show that higher number of natural disasters results in a reduction in agricultural income. This decreases menʼs power relative to womenʼs power within households. The impact of number of natural disasters on womenʼs empowerment is statistically insignificant for households with lower shares of farm income while it is statistically significant for households with higher shares of farm income. Leveraging a test of exogeneity by Caetano (2015), we document the causal relationship between natural disasters and womenʼs empowerment.

Suggested Citation

  • Hoang, Trung Xuan & Nga, Van Thi Le, 2021. "The Impact of Natural Disasters on Womenʼs Empowerment in Rural Vietnam," Hitotsubashi Journal of Economics, Hitotsubashi University, vol. 62(2), pages 101-123, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:hit:hitjec:v:62:y:2021:i:2:p:101-123
    DOI: 10.15057/hje.2021005
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://hermes-ir.lib.hit-u.ac.jp/hermes/ir/re/72506/HJeco0620201010.pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.15057/hje.2021005?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dasgupta, Susmita & Laplante, Benoit & Murray, Siobhan & Wheeler, David, 2009. "Sea-level rise and storm surges : a comparative analysis of impacts in developing countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4901, The World Bank.
    2. Juncal Cunado & Susana Ferreira, 2014. "The Macroeconomic Impacts of Natural Disasters: The Case of Floods," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 90(1), pages 149-168.
    3. Panda, Pradeep & Agarwal, Bina, 2005. "Marital violence, human development and women's property status in India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(5), pages 823-850, May.
    4. Carolina Caetano, 2015. "A Test of Exogeneity Without Instrumental Variables in Models With Bunching," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 83(4), pages 1581-1600, July.
    5. Hartwig De Haen & Günter Hemrich, 2007. "The economics of natural disasters: implications and challenges for food security," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 37(s1), pages 31-45, December.
    6. Titan Alon & Matthias Doepke & Jane Olmstead-Rumsey & Michèle Tertilt, 2020. "The Impact of COVID-19 on Gender Equality," NBER Working Papers 26947, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Anh Tuan Bui & Mardi Dungey & Cuong Viet Nguyen & Thu Phuong Pham, 2014. "The impact of natural disasters on household income, expenditure, poverty and inequality: evidence from Vietnam," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(15), pages 1751-1766, May.
    8. Strobl, Eric, 2012. "The economic growth impact of natural disasters in developing countries: Evidence from hurricane strikes in the Central American and Caribbean regions," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(1), pages 130-141.
    9. Menon, Nidhiya & van der Meulen Rodgers, Yana & Nguyen, Huong, 2014. "Women’s Land Rights and Children’s Human Capital in Vietnam," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 18-31.
    10. Alberto Alesina & Paola Giuliano & Nathan Nunn, 2013. "On the Origins of Gender Roles: Women and the Plough," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 128(2), pages 469-530.
    11. Brei, Michael & Mohan, Preeya & Strobl, Eric, 2019. "The impact of natural disasters on the banking sector: Evidence from hurricane strikes in the Caribbean," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 232-239.
    12. Allendorf, Keera, 2007. "Do Women's Land Rights Promote Empowerment and Child Health in Nepal?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(11), pages 1975-1988, November.
    13. Shatnawi, Dina & Fishback, Price, 2018. "The Impact of World War II on the Demand for Female Workers in Manufacturing," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 78(2), pages 539-574, June.
    14. Cuong Viet Nguyen & Nguyet Minh Pham, 2018. "The impact of natural disasters on children's education: Comparative evidence from Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(4), pages 1561-1589, November.
    15. Casper Hansen & Peter Jensen & Christian Skovsgaard, 2015. "Modern gender roles and agricultural history: the Neolithic inheritance," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 365-404, December.
    16. Carol Newman, 2015. "Gender Inequality and the Empowerment of Women in Rural Vietnam," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2015-066, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    17. Elodie Blanc & Eric Strobl, 2016. "Assessing the Impact of Typhoons on Rice Production in the Philippines," Post-Print hal-01446210, HAL.
    18. Samarakoon, Shanika & Parinduri, Rasyad A., 2015. "Does Education Empower Women? Evidence from Indonesia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 428-442.
    19. Sofia Riaz & Zahid Pervaiz, 2018. "The impact of women’s education and employment on their empowerment: an empirical evidence from household level survey," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 52(6), pages 2855-2870, November.
    20. Noy, Ilan & Vu, Tam Bang, 2010. "The economics of natural disasters in a developing country: The case of Vietnam," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(4), pages 345-354, August.
    21. Agnes R. Quisumbing & John A. Maluccio, 2003. "Resources at Marriage and Intrahousehold Allocation: Evidence from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and South Africa," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 65(3), pages 283-327, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chen, Xuan & Vuong, Nguyen, 2018. "Climate and Off-farm Labor Supply of Agricultural Households: Evidence from Rural Vietnam," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 274187, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    2. Meinzen-Dick, Ruth & Quisumbing, Agnes & Doss, Cheryl & Theis, Sophie, 2019. "Women's land rights as a pathway to poverty reduction: Framework and review of available evidence," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 72-82.
    3. Muchomba, Felix M., 2017. "Women’s Land Tenure Security and Household Human Capital: Evidence from Ethiopia’s Land Certification," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 310-324.
    4. Isis Gaddis & Rahul Lahoti & Hema Swaminathan, 2022. "Women's Legal Rights and Gender Gaps in Property Ownership in Developing Countries," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 48(2), pages 331-377, June.
    5. Trung X. Hoang & Nga V. T. Le, 2021. "Natural disasters and risk aversion: Evidence from Vietnam," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 45(3), pages 211-229, August.
    6. Arouri, Mohamed & Nguyen, Cuong & Youssef, Adel Ben, 2015. "Natural Disasters, Household Welfare, and Resilience: Evidence from Rural Vietnam," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 59-77.
    7. Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela & Quisumbing, Agnes R. & Doss, Cheryl R. & Theis, Sophie, 2017. "Women’s land rights as a pathway to poverty reduction: A framework and review of available evidence," IFPRI discussion papers 1663, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Davis, Lewis S. & Williamson, Claudia R., 2022. "Individualism and women's economic rights," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 198(C), pages 579-597.
    9. Kumar, Neha & Quisumbing, Agnes R., 2015. "Policy Reform toward Gender Equality in Ethiopia: Little by Little the Egg Begins to Walk," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 406-423.
    10. Mishra, Khushbu & Sam, Abdoul G., 2016. "Does Women’s Land Ownership Promote Their Empowerment? Empirical Evidence from Nepal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 360-371.
    11. Johanna Choumert-Nkolo & Anaïs Lamour & Pascale Phélinas, 2021. "The Economics of Volcanoes," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 5(2), pages 277-299, July.
    12. Lambrecht, Isabel, 2016. "“As a husband I will love, lead, and provide:†Gendered access to land in Ghana:," IFPRI discussion papers 1514, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    13. Nayana Bose & Shreyasee Das, 2021. "Women's Inheritance Rights and Fertility Decisions: Evidence from India," DETU Working Papers 2101, Department of Economics, Temple University.
    14. Lambrecht, Isabel Brigitte, 2016. "“As a Husband I Will Love, Lead, and Provide.” Gendered Access to Land in Ghana," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 188-200.
    15. Yashobanta Parida & Swati Saini & Joyita Roy Chowdhury, 2021. "Economic growth in the aftermath of floods in Indian states," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 535-561, January.
    16. Menon, Nidhiya & van der Meulen Rodgers, Yana & Nguyen, Huong, 2014. "Women’s Land Rights and Children’s Human Capital in Vietnam," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 18-31.
    17. Vijaya, Ramya M. & Lahoti, Rahul & Swaminathan, Hema, 2014. "Moving from the Household to the Individual: Multidimensional Poverty Analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 70-81.
    18. Lazzaroni, Sara & van Bergeijk, Peter A.G., 2014. "Natural disasters' impact, factors of resilience and development: A meta-analysis of the macroeconomic literature," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 333-346.
    19. van der Meulen Rodgers, Yana & Kassens, Alice Louise, 2018. "Women's asset ownership and children's nutritional status: Evidence from Papua New Guinea," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 100-107.
    20. Peter A. G. van Bergeijk & Sara Lazzaroni, 2015. "Macroeconomics of Natural Disasters: Strengths and Weaknesses of Meta‐Analysis Versus Review of Literature," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 35(6), pages 1050-1072, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:hit:hitjec:v:62:y:2021:i:2:p:101-123. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Digital Resources Section, Hitotsubashi University Library (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/fehitjp.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.