Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/325472 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Series/Report no.: 
GLO Discussion Paper No. 1664
Publisher: 
Global Labor Organization (GLO), Essen
Abstract: 
This paper investigates the unintended gendered effects of manufacturing growth in India, focusing on son preference. For identification, I leverage a place-based tax exemption policy under the Finance Act of 1994, which incentivized manufacturing sector investments in backward districts, and employ a regression discontinuity design using three nationally representative datasets. Results show increases in women's stated son preference, likelihood of having at least one son, and son-to-daughter ratios. Higher son preference is mediated through male-biased employment gains in the manufacturing sector, stagnant female employment, reinforced patriarchal gender norms, and dowry inflation. The findings underscore that not all drivers of structural transformation benefit women, as gender norms shape who gains from growth. By documenting these spillovers, this study broadens the understanding of manufacturing policies and their social costs.
Subjects: 
Manufacturing Growth
Son Preference
Gender Norms
Place-Based Policies
Regression Discontinuity
JEL: 
J16
O14
J13
O25
R58
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.