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Wealth, Marriage, and Sex Selection

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Listed:
  • Borker, Girija
  • Eeckhout,Jan
  • Luke,Nancy
  • Minz,Shantidani
  • Munshi,Kaivan
  • Swaminathan,Soumya

Abstract

Two mechanisms have been proposed to explain sex selection in India: son preference in which parents desire a male heir and daughter aversion in which dowry payments make parents worse off with girls. Our model incorporates both mechanisms, providing micro-foundations, based on the organization of the marriage institution, for daughter aversion. Marital matching, sex selection, and dowries are jointly determined in the model, whose implications are tested on a representative sample of rural households. Simulations of the model indicate that existing policies targeting daughter aversion might exacerbate the problem, while identifying other policies that could be effective.

Suggested Citation

  • Borker, Girija & Eeckhout,Jan & Luke,Nancy & Minz,Shantidani & Munshi,Kaivan & Swaminathan,Soumya, 2025. "Wealth, Marriage, and Sex Selection," Policy Research Working Paper Series 11147, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:11147
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