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The Relationship between Child Marriage and Female Educational Attainment in India

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  • Duggal, Khushi

    (University of Warwick)

Abstract

Child marriage remains a prevalent practice in many countries around the world and can detrimentally affect various life outcomes for young women and girls. Using data from the India Human Development Survey (IHDS-II), this paper explores the relationship between early marriage and the educational attainment of Indian women. The study uses age of menarche as an instrumental variable to isolate the causal effect of marriage timing, with results indicating that each additional year that marriage is delayed is associated with 0.32 additional years of schooling and a 1.9 percentage-point increase in literacy. The findings highlight the lack of regulation of current marriage laws and the need for stringent enforcement, rather than the Indian government’s current aims to increase the legal age of marriage for women further. In addition, this study also conducts heterogeneity analysis to determine the possible benefit of this policy recommendation across different residence types, as well as estimates the effect of marriage timing on secondary outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Duggal, Khushi, 2023. "The Relationship between Child Marriage and Female Educational Attainment in India," Warwick-Monash Economics Student Papers 57, Warwick Monash Economics Student Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:wrk:wrkesp:57
    as

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    File URL: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/research/wmesp/manage/57_-_khushi_duggal.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Maertens, Annemie, 2013. "Social Norms and Aspirations: Age of Marriage and Education in Rural India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 1-15.
    2. Sheetal Sekhri & Sisir Debnath, 2014. "Intergenerational Consequences of Early Age Marriages of Girls: Effect on Children's Human Capital," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(12), pages 1670-1686, December.
    3. Jennifer Parsons & Jeffrey Edmeades & Aslihan Kes & Suzanne Petroni & Maggie Sexton & Quentin Wodon, 2015. "Economic Impacts of Child Marriage: A Review of the Literature," The Review of Faith & International Affairs, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(3), pages 12-22, September.
    4. Erica Field & Attila Ambrus, 2008. "Early Marriage, Age of Menarche, and Female Schooling Attainment in Bangladesh," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 116(5), pages 881-930, October.
    5. Ambrus, Attila & Field, Erica, 2008. "Early Marriage, Age of Menarche, and Female Schooling Attainment in Bangladesh," Scholarly Articles 3200264, Harvard University Department of Economics.
    6. Jeni Klugman & Lucia Hanmer & Sarah Twigg & Tazeen Hasan & Jennifer McCleary-Sills & Julieth Santamaria, 2014. "Voice and Agency : Empowering Women and Girls for Shared Prosperity," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 19036, March.
    7. Chari, A.V. & Heath, Rachel & Maertens, Annemie & Fatima, Freeha, 2017. "The causal effect of maternal age at marriage on child wellbeing: Evidence from India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 42-55.
    8. Delprato, Marcos & Akyeampong, Kwame & Sabates, Ricardo & Hernandez-Fernandez, Jimena, 2015. "On the impact of early marriage on schooling outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa and South West Asia," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 42-55.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Child marriage ; Early marriage ; Education ; Schooling ; India JEL classifications: I21 ; J12;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure

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