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Excess female mortality in Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Siwan Anderson
  • Debraj Ray

Abstract

Relative to developed countries, there are far fewer women than men in parts of the developing world. Estimates suggest that more than 200 million women are demographically 'missing' worldwide. To explain the global 'missing women' phenomenon, research has mainly focused on excess female mortality in Asia. However, as emphasized in our earlier research, at least 30 per cent of the missing women are 'missing' from Africa. This paper employs a novel methodology to determine how the phenomenon of missing women is distributed across Africa.

Suggested Citation

  • Siwan Anderson & Debraj Ray, 2017. "Excess female mortality in Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2017-116, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2017-116
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    File URL: https://www.wider.unu.edu/sites/default/files/wp2017-116.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Seema Jayachandran & Ilyana Kuziemko, 2011. "Why Do Mothers Breastfeed Girls Less than Boys? Evidence and Implications for Child Health in India," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 126(3), pages 1485-1538.
    2. Duncan Thomas, 1994. "Like Father, like Son; Like Mother, like Daughter: Parental Resources and Child Height," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 29(4), pages 950-988.
    3. repec:wbk:wbpubs:2315 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. repec:wbk:wbpubs:26447 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Siwan Anderson & Debraj Ray, 2010. "Missing Women: Age and Disease," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 77(4), pages 1262-1300.
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    Cited by:

    1. Genicot, Garance & Hernandez-de-Benito, Maria, 2022. "Women’s land rights and village institutions in Tanzania," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).

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