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Sons as Widowhood Insurance : Evidence from Senegal

Author

Listed:
  • Sylvie Lambert

    (PSE - INRA)

  • Pauline Rossi

    (CREST - PSE)

Abstract

Exploiting original data from a Senegalese household survey, we provide evidence that fertility choices are partly driven by women's needs for widowhood insurance. We use a duration model of birth intervals to show that women most exposed to the risk of widowhood intensify their fertility until they get a son. Insurance through sons entails substantial health costs : short birth spacing raises maternal and infant mortality rates

Suggested Citation

  • Sylvie Lambert & Pauline Rossi, 2014. "Sons as Widowhood Insurance : Evidence from Senegal," Working Papers 2014-04, Center for Research in Economics and Statistics.
    • Handle: RePEc:crs:wpaper:2014-04
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Intra-household insurance; Gender; Fertility; Health; Senegal;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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