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Child Disability and Mothers' Labour Market Participation in Cameroon

Author

Listed:
  • Arlette Simo Fotso

    (University Cheikh Anta Diop)

Abstract

This study seeks to evaluate the effect of a child's disability on the mothers' labour market participation using Cameroon 2011 Demographic and Health Survey- National Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (EDS-MICS), capturing heterogeneity according to mother's level of education. In order to allow for endogeneity bias and the fact that a disability may impose various types of constraints on a family, two disability indicators were constructed. These distinguish between children with a healthcare-cost-intensive disability and those with a time-intensive one. The results obtained show that having a child whose disability requires high healthcare expenditures increases the probability that a non-graduated mother will be employed by 12%, and that she will work full-year by 3% and seasonally by 6%. Where the child's disability imposes time constraints, the probability of working all the year for the non-graduated mother is reduced by 14%. No significant effect is found for graduated mothers. It is important, therefore, that policymakers take account of the variety of costs imposed by a child's disability and heterogeneous effects according to mother's level of education.

Suggested Citation

  • Arlette Simo Fotso, 2017. "Child Disability and Mothers' Labour Market Participation in Cameroon," Journal of African Development, African Finance and Economic Association (AFEA), vol. 19(1), pages 27-60.
  • Handle: RePEc:afe:journl:v:19:y:2017:i:1:p:27-60
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Porto Natalia & Carella Laura & Rucci Ana Clara & Velazquez Cecilia, 2023. "Children living with disabilities and mother`s labor supply in developing countries: evidence from Argentina," Asociación Argentina de Economía Política: Working Papers 4686, Asociación Argentina de Economía Política.
    2. Armand Totouom & Vincent De Paul Mboutchouang & Hervé Kaffo Fotio, 2018. "The Effects of Education on Labour Force Participation in Cameroon: A Gender Perspective," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 30(1), pages 45-55, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Disability; child; cost of illness; household production model; education; labour market;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor

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