Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/235572 
Year of Publication: 
2021
Series/Report no.: 
GLO Discussion Paper No. 888
Publisher: 
Global Labor Organization (GLO), Essen
Abstract: 
Worldwide, 1.6 million girls are "missing" at birth every year. One policy tool to improve the sex ratio is a conditional cash transfer that pays parents to invest in daughters, but existing evidence on their effectiveness is sparse. Using a difference-in-differences framework, we evaluate the Dhanlakshmi scheme, an Indian CCT program that strongly encouraged girl births without restricting fertility. Dhanlakshmi improved the sex ratio at birth, with only a small fertility increase. The girl-birth effect was concentrated among the first two parities and partially persisted after the program was discontinued. Post-birth outcomes like immunization and education also improved.
Subjects: 
conditional cash transfer
son preference
sex ratio
gender bias
India
JEL: 
D13
H53
I15
I18
J16
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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