Mothers to Sons?—Maternal Labor Force Participation, Child Time Allocations, and Boys’ Educational Disengagement: Evidence from Marinduque, MIMAROPA, Southern Luzon

This chapter examines how mothers' labor force participation (MLFP) affects pro-educational child time allocation patterns, focusing on boys’ educational disengagement, using evidence from Marinduque Province. Using time-use data collected from rural households, the study explores MLFP as a contributing factor to gender disparities in children’s pro-educational time allocation. To identify the causal effect of MLFP, the analysis leverages exogenous changes in the regional labor market as an instrumental variable. The unintended effect of MLFP, defined in this study as its differential impact on boys’ and girls’ time allocation patterns, is explored through two mechanisms: first, a “role model” effect, where daughters emulate the occupational stability of formally employed mothers, often tied to higher educational qualifications; and second, reduced maternal supervision, which disproportionately affects boys, leading to diminished engagement in pro-educational activities. These findings illuminate how mothers’ employment reshapes gendered patterns in children’s pro-educational time use under conditions of poverty. By analyzing the unintended consequences of MLFP on children’s time allocation patterns, this chapter offers critical insights for addressing gender disparities in pro-educational engagement through family dynamics.