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Reversal of gender gaps in child development: Evidence from young children in India

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  • Lopez Boo, Florencia
  • Canon, Maria Eugenia

Abstract

This paper provides unique evidence of a reversal of gender gaps in cognitive development in early childhood. We find steep caste and gender gradients and few substantive changes once children enter school. The gender gap, however, reverses its sign for the upper caste, with girls performing better than boys at age 5 but thereafter following the general pattern in India of boys performing better.

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  • Lopez Boo, Florencia & Canon, Maria Eugenia, 2014. "Reversal of gender gaps in child development: Evidence from young children in India," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 124(1), pages 55-59.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:124:y:2014:i:1:p:55-59
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2014.04.021
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    1. Elisabetta Aurino & Whitney Schott & Jere R. Behrman & Mary Penny, 2019. "Nutritional Status from 1 to 15 Years and Adolescent Learning for Boys and Girls in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 38(6), pages 899-931, December.
    2. Bando, Rosangela & López Bóo, Florencia, 2016. "Sex-Differences in Language and Socio-Emotional Skills: Evidence from Large Scale Studies of Very Young Children," IZA Discussion Papers 10315, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cognitive skills; India; Gender; Caste inequality; Children; Oaxaca;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • J7 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination

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