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How Women's Rights Affect Fertility: Evidence From Nigeria

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  • Raphaël Godefroy

Abstract

This article estimates the impact on fertility of a 1999 reform that reduced litigants’ rights for Muslim women in certain states of Nigeria. Using data from Demographic and Health Surveys, I find that, where enforced, the Reform increased the yearly probability of giving birth by 0.026. This effect stems from both a shift of fertility decisions within marriage towards husbands’ preferences and an increase in the probability of being married. The change in marital status alone may explain 60% of the total increase in fertility. I also find that the enforced Reform increased women's labour supply.

Suggested Citation

  • Raphaël Godefroy, 2019. "How Women's Rights Affect Fertility: Evidence From Nigeria," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 129(619), pages 1247-1280.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:econjl:v:129:y:2019:i:619:p:1247-1280.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/ecoj.12610
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    Cited by:

    1. Daniel Aaronson & Rajeev Dehejia & Andrew Jordan & Cristian Pop-Eleches & Cyrus Samii & Karl Schulze, 2021. "The Effect of Fertility on Mothers’ Labor Supply over the Last Two Centuries [Semiparametric instrumental variables estimation of treatment response models]," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 131(633), pages 1-32.
    2. Cust,James Frederick & Mensah,Justice Tei, 2020. "Natural Resource Discoveries, Citizen Expectations and Household Decisions," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9372, The World Bank.
    3. Marco Alfano, 2017. "Islamic Law and Investments in Children: Evidence from the Sharia Introduction in Nigeria," RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 1701, Rockwool Foundation Berlin (RF Berlin) - Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM).

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