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The Role of Mothers-in-Law in Determining Women’s Work: Evidence from India

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  • Madhulika Khanna
  • Divya Pandey

Abstract

In India, a coresiding mother-in-law may restrict a woman’s labor force participation as the custodian of gender-specific social norms but may also help by taking on housework responsibilities. We use the exogenous variation in the coresiding mother-in-law’s death to investigate which effect dominates. We use a difference-in-differences strategy along with individual fixed effects to find a 10% decrease in women’s labor force participation following their mother-in-law’s death. We provide suggestive evidence to show that while mothers-in-law restrict the autonomy of their daughters-in-law, they also free up time for their daughters-in-law by sharing their housework burdens, thus allowing them to work.

Suggested Citation

  • Madhulika Khanna & Divya Pandey, 2024. "The Role of Mothers-in-Law in Determining Women’s Work: Evidence from India," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 72(3), pages 1465-1492.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:ecdecc:doi:10.1086/724307
    DOI: 10.1086/724307
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