Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Artist Statement
An overwhelming amount of research (Saha 2013 Kingdon 2005 Parpiev et. al. 2012 and Gibson and Rozelle 2004) supports that gender inequality persists in the developing world. In addition, a considerable amount of evidence also suggests that gender inequality in the developing world negatively impacts women and girls’ health, education and future wage potential (Baliamoune-Lutz et. al. 2009 Garg et. al. 1998 Agbodji et. al. 2013 and Dickerson et. al. 2013). This thesis investigates whether households in South Africa discriminated against their female children, in favor of their male children. Additionally, I investigated whether a head of household’s gender significantly affected how they apportioned resources amongst their children. Using the 1st wave of the National Income Dynamics Study and Angus Deaton’s outlay-equivalence ratio method, I estimate the impact, 8 age and gender categories have on their household’s adult goods expenditure. I found evidence, in poor female headed households, suggesting a preference for 0-4 year old boys over 0-4 year old girls.
Mentor Name
Amanda Dawsey
An Outlay Equivalence Analysis of South African Households
UC Ballroom, Pod #1
An overwhelming amount of research (Saha 2013 Kingdon 2005 Parpiev et. al. 2012 and Gibson and Rozelle 2004) supports that gender inequality persists in the developing world. In addition, a considerable amount of evidence also suggests that gender inequality in the developing world negatively impacts women and girls’ health, education and future wage potential (Baliamoune-Lutz et. al. 2009 Garg et. al. 1998 Agbodji et. al. 2013 and Dickerson et. al. 2013). This thesis investigates whether households in South Africa discriminated against their female children, in favor of their male children. Additionally, I investigated whether a head of household’s gender significantly affected how they apportioned resources amongst their children. Using the 1st wave of the National Income Dynamics Study and Angus Deaton’s outlay-equivalence ratio method, I estimate the impact, 8 age and gender categories have on their household’s adult goods expenditure. I found evidence, in poor female headed households, suggesting a preference for 0-4 year old boys over 0-4 year old girls.