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Abortion Legalization, Sex Selection, and Female University Enrollment in Taiwan

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  • Priti Kalsi

Abstract

Increasing access to sex-selective abortions in societies with a male preference should, theoretically, increase the average level of investments and care provided for girls who are not aborted. Existing literature finds that higher birth order sex selection increased after the legalization of abortion in Taiwan. This research presents evidence that the legalization of abortion in Taiwan improved the average rate of university attendance for girls born at higher birth orders where sex selection is most common. Specifically, I find that girls born at higher birth orders after the legalization of abortion are on average more likely to attend a university by approximately 4.5 percentage points. Moreover, a similar improvement in university attendance rates for higher birth order boys is not found. Heterogeneous results indicate that families with a relatively lower socioeconomic status are likely driving the results. The findings in this analysis are robust to several specifications, and they extend existing literature by providing evidence of the substitution hypothesis for a later-life economic outcome.

Suggested Citation

  • Priti Kalsi, 2015. "Abortion Legalization, Sex Selection, and Female University Enrollment in Taiwan," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 64(1), pages 163-185.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:ecdecc:doi:10.1086/682685
    DOI: 10.1086/682685
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    Cited by:

    1. Garima Rastogi & Anisha Sharma, 2022. "Unwanted daughters: the unintended consequences of a ban on sex-selective abortions on the educational attainment of women," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 35(4), pages 1473-1516, October.
    2. Anisha Sharma & Garima Rastogi, 2020. "Unwanted daughters: The impact of a ban on sex-selection on the educational attainment of women," Working Papers 37, Ashoka University, Department of Economics.
    3. S Anukriti & Sonia Bhalotra & Eddy H F Tam, 2022. "On the Quantity and Quality of Girls: Fertility, Parental Investments and Mortality," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 132(641), pages 1-36.
    4. Kalsi, Priti, 2017. "Seeing is believing- can increasing the number of female leaders reduce sex selection in rural India?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 1-18.

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