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Early marriage and early childbearing in West Africa: Does ethnicity matter?

Author

Listed:
  • Agnes Zabsonre

    (Nazi Boni University Burkina Faso, Research Fellow Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP) Kenya)

  • Maxime Agbo

    (School of Statistics, Planning and Demography, University of Parakou, Benin)

Abstract

Recently, Corno et al. (2020) show that aggregate adverse income shocks increase early marriage and early childbearing in sub-Saharan Africa. We argue that early marriage and early childbearing are two phenomenons that are mainly determined by ethnic groups with the strongest cultural norms and practices. In particular, we replicate their empirical results and show that the Fulani ethnic group which is widely dispersed across West Africa region strongly affects early marriage and early childbearing.

Suggested Citation

  • Agnes Zabsonre & Maxime Agbo, 2023. "Early marriage and early childbearing in West Africa: Does ethnicity matter?," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 43(1), pages 381-388.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-22-00210
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lucia Corno & Nicole Hildebrandt & Alessandra Voena, 2020. "Age of Marriage, Weather Shocks, and the Direction of Marriage Payments," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 88(3), pages 879-915, May.
    2. Naveen Sunder, 2019. "Marriage Age, Social Status, and Intergenerational Effects in Uganda," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(6), pages 2123-2146, December.
    3. Jason M. Fletcher & Barbara L. Wolfe, 2009. "Education and Labor Market Consequences of Teenage Childbearing: Evidence Using the Timing of Pregnancy Outcomes and Community Fixed Effects," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 44(2).
    4. Erica Field & Attila Ambrus, 2008. "Early Marriage, Age of Menarche, and Female Schooling Attainment in Bangladesh," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 116(5), pages 881-930, October.
    5. Amanda Glassman, Kate McQueston, and Rachel Silverman, 2012. "Adolescent Fertility in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Effects and Solutions - Working Paper 295," Working Papers 295, Center for Global Development.
    6. Ambrus, Attila & Field, Erica, 2008. "Early Marriage, Age of Menarche, and Female Schooling Attainment in Bangladesh," Scholarly Articles 3200264, Harvard University Department of Economics.
    7. Catalina Herrera & David E Sahn & Kira M Villa, 2019. "Teen Fertility and Female Employment Outcomes: Evidence from Madagascar," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 28(3), pages 277-303.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Early marriage; early childbearing; drought; Fulani; West Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior

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