Sons as Widowhood Insurance: Evidence from Senegal
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| Publication date | 2016 |
| Journal | Journal of Development Economics |
| Volume | Issue number | 120 |
| Pages (from-to) | 113-127 |
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| 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 at risk in case of widowhood intensify their fertility, shortening birth spacing, until they get a son. Insurance through sons might entail substantial health costs since short birth spacing raises maternal and infant mortality rates. |
| Document type | Article |
| Language | English |
| Published at | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2016.01.004 |
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