Patrilocality, female age at first marriage and labor supply

• In Event: 2266 - Family Section Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 14. Intimate Relationship Formation and Marriage in Different Contexts

Abstract

Patrilocality is the one of the most common family structures in non-industrialized rural parts of Central Asia. We investigate how patrilocal residence influence earlier marriage of women and their likelihood to be employed in case of rural Kyrgyzstan. We give solid evidence of family structure importance in economic activity and social development of women in background information and literature reviewed. Further we build analytical framework for our study and estimation methods we use including OLS regression indicating that women in patrilocal context marry earlier. However, these results are biased for potential endogeneity, which will be solved in IV model. We will instrument sex ratio at birth on district level, which is higher in patrilocal families. Parents are willing to have sons in order to follow patrilocal norms in future, thus they control fertility with sex selective abortion. We further estimate lower likelihood of women to work in patrilocal families. These findings are highly important for education, employment, income level, health condition of women and further generations.

Authors

• Nozima Yusupova, Westminster International University in Tashkent

• Bakhrom Mirkasimov, Westminster International University in Tashkent