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Female Leadership and Early Childhood Education: Impacts on Access and Quality

Author

Listed:
  • Isabela Fernandes Matos Lima

  • Paula Carvalho Pereda

Abstract

This paper investigates whether female political leadership affects access to and quality of early childhood education in Brazilian municipalities. We employ a regression discontinuity design exploiting close municipal elections between male and female candidates in the 2016 mayoral races. The results indicate that municipalities that narrowly elected a female mayor experienced a modest but statistically significant increase in daycare enrollment rates at the beginning of the term, suggesting a short-run expansion in access. In contrast, evidence regarding quality indicators, such as teacher qualifications and class size, is more limited and generally not robust across specifications.

Suggested Citation

  • Isabela Fernandes Matos Lima & Paula Carvalho Pereda, 2026. "Female Leadership and Early Childhood Education: Impacts on Access and Quality," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2026_29, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).
    • Handle: RePEc:spa:wpaper:2026wpecon29
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    File URL: http://www.repec.eae.fea.usp.br/documentos/Lima_Pereda_29WP.pdf
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models

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