Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/278891 
Year of Publication: 
2023
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 16193
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
Non-unitary household models suggest that enhancing women's bargaining power can influence child health, a crucial determinant of human capital and economic standing throughout adulthood. We examine the effects of a policy shift, the Hindu Succession Act Amendment (HSAA), which granted inheritance rights to unmarried women in India, on child health. Our findings indicate that the HSAA improved children's height and weight. Furthermore, we uncover evidence supporting a mechanism whereby the policy bolstered women's intra-household bargaining power, resulting in downstream benefits through enhanced parental care for children and improved child health. These results emphasize that children fare better when mothers control a larger share of family resources. Policies empowering women can yield additional positive externalities for children's human capital
Subjects: 
human capital
height
bargaining
parental investments
developing countries
India
JEL: 
D13
I12
I13
J13
J16
J18
K13
O12
O15
Z12
Z13
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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